Christmas in Japan?

What's coming up after Thanksgiving? Christmas! The song, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," keeps playing in my head during Christmas season. Christmas has been my most favorite time every year. Santa Claus had been the biggest reason why I liked Christmas the best until when I was twelve. After finding out that my father was the Santa Claus, I was at first disappointed, but I celebrated the Jesus' birthday with offering a prayer of great appreciation to God and Jesus.

Other than the New Year, Christmas is the biggest day that is celebrated in Japan. Christmas decorations, music, and commercials, public places, stores, houses, and all the TV channels in Japan create the spirit of Christmas. Also, every Japanese family eats a roast chicken in Christmas.  I always enjoyed seeing the huge Christmas tree placed in front of the station in my hometown in Japan and listening to Christmas music in everywhere I went. But in a few years ago, I came up with questions, "Why do Japanese people celebrate Christmas? Aren't they either Buddhists or non-religious people?" I am one of a very few Japanese Christians, who celebrate the Jesus birthday. But how about other non-Christians? What do they celebrate for if they don't believe or know about Jesus?

I asked my friend from high school, whose father was a Buddhist, in Japan, "Why do you celebrate Christmas?"

"Well, I guess it's because my girlfriend always expects me to buy her a gift and do something special like going to the expensive restaurant on Christmas day." He said. I asked if he knew why we had Christmas on every December 25th, but he didn't know anything about the meaning of Christmas. He didn’t even know who Jesus was.

Japanese people, especially young people, become excited toward the end of the year because of the biggest events, Christmas and the New Year, happen during that time. Japanese people enjoy seeing westernized decorations, eating delicious food, and listening to Christmas music in English without knowing the significance of the December 25th.

I feel contradictory that these non-Christians celebrate Christmas for their happiness but not for Jesus. At the same time, I am so impressed that Jesus embraces everyone and makes them happy even those, who don’t even know him.