I remember Eva from my childhood. Mother came home with a bag of oranges “just for me” (she said), but from which the whole family ate; and a red coat, long and beautiful, for my sister. I watched Maria for a long time as she proudly walked around the living room: she, of course, had to dress nicely, because she only went to Hashdeu and her colleagues could not laugh at her. My eyes were shining in my head, and I held on to the bag, not that it would somehow disappear. Probably one of the richest Christmases ever, come to think of it. I think we even had candy on the tree back then.

Now, thirty years later, I’m still nostalgic and I always buy oranges for the holidays. I don’t drink candy anymore, but chocolate is necessary, in various forms, although I don’t kill myself for it, unlike my children.

How do the Japanese celebrate Christmas?

The number of Christians in Japan is almost two million, that is, about 1% of the population. Therefore, there are no weekends, and most Christmas holidays I work with colleagues. I’m lucky this year, Eve falls on a Saturday, so I have time to pack the sarmale and prepare the beuf salad.

Christmas means fried chicken from KFC, a tradition started in 1970 by Takeshi Okawara, manager of the first KFC franchise in Japan, who came up with a great marketing idea at the time, and the slogan “Kentucky is Christmas!” this gave rise to a new, most secular, but profitable custom, which continues to this day.

It also means Christmas cake, which is a type of round sponge cake decorated with whipped cream and strawberries, shortbread in English But why the cake? Hideyo Konagaya tells about this in an article published in Magazine of popular culture. In the 17th century, when sugar, milk and butter were rare for the island nation, this dessert was considered a luxury and reserved for the elite. After World War II, as Japan’s economy began to recover, the newly formed middle class embraced the noble biscuit as a sign that it had finally emerged from poverty. The shape and colors are reminiscent of the Japanese flag, another source of national pride.

The day of December 24 is dedicated to couples, most of whom plan dinners in city restaurants and walks under decorated trees; is considered the most romantic day of the year (yes, definitely Valentine’s Day!).

Only children under 12 receive gifts. If you’ve entered gymnasium (high school equivalent to grades VII-IX in Romania), you don’t kiss anything anymore. Obviously, there are exceptions, there are also families who continue to buy something for their children. But in general, adults no longer receive gifts.

Even though Christmas falls on a public holiday this year, I will be back at work on December 26th having bento some interesting tidbits that I will share with my Japanese colleagues.

But what happens on New Year’s Day?

New Year is a tradition. And depending on the family, it can be something extremely traditional, or it can be a friendly environment even for one gaijin (foreigner).

On New Year’s Eve, everyone returns home to their nest. And this is usually the house of grandparents. The married couple will first go to the husband’s relatives, and only in January – also to the wife’s relatives. This is an unwritten rule that everyone follows. In a family that wants to keep all the traditions, the New Year can be overwhelming for an outsider like me. From general cleaning, floor washing rugs, sculpting rice cakes – mochi cooking a traditional dinner – osechi-ryōriup to Hatsumode (the practice of visiting a temple or shrine on the first day of the year).

On January 1, the Japanese greet children with a sorkova, only it is called in a different form, in an envelope otoshidama. And children only need to hold out both hands (collecting money with one hand is impolite), they are not allowed to sing or recite poems.

What do the Japanese spend money on during the holidays?

For train or plane tickets, for gasoline, for small souvenirs for family members, for KFC and traditional Hatsuuri (first his year). Or maybe I run to the mountain to play skiing.

But the thing is, the Japanese don’t really have this concept of “ripping off money”. This is where the term was born kakeibo (A Japanese economy method invented by Hani Motoko, Japan’s first female journalist, in 1904). In the 17 years I’ve been here, no one has ever pulled me by the sleeve to start a monologue about what gifts they bought, where they went and how much money they spent on vacation. It’s not in their nature to brag, that’s all, and no matter how much my tongue itches to say something (some tantrums don’t pass), I keep quiet and swallow my words. Read the entire article and comment on Contributors. ro