Meri-Kuri!
Aaah, Christmas. Japan’s third Valentine’s Day, after Valentine’s Day and White Day.
Like Taro mentioned, it seems like Christmas is all about dates and romance and….other things.
Japan is obviously not a Christian country. Official statistics say that 1% of the population is Christian (although I wonder, given the huge number of Mormons who’ve approached me in Japan, whether that’s an understatement). But Japan does have a national pasttime of taking things from other cultures, changing it til it suits them, then adopting it as their own. And Christmas is another victim.
Find yourself a girl (or boy), hold hands while you walk down snow-covered streets to look at the Christmas lights, enjoy the probably stupidly expensive piece of jewellery/lingerie you receive, and make sure you model it privately for the gift giver :P
Oh, and to expand a bit on Taro’s explanation of how to say “Merry Christmas” in Japanese, you guys should also know that very often, Merii Kurisumasu will be shortened to Meri Kuri!
Minna-san! Meri Kuri!
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