This Christmas, I spent the day working in Hollister, and enjoyed a nice dinner with two friends: home-making a Christmas meal was a real challenge on a student budget, but our French dinner was a real success.
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| My friends in front of a giant shiny tree in Ebisu |
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| Paul adoring its accomplishment |
One thing interesting to know about Christmas Eve dinners, contrary to the French culture I was brought up in, is that they are an occasion for couples to go out on dates (what they ‘translate’ as γγΌγ//deeto, a Japanese-ied version of the term “date”. What I like to call ‘katakana English’, katakana being the syllable alphabet reserved for foreign terms such as pen, t-shirt, computers, and on and on) (sorry the exclamation point is going to seem a little late here) ! While back home, Christmas is all about family getting together and sharing amazing food (until we can’t walk anymore), amazing wine, and quality family time, Japanese people view this holiday quite differently. And although Christmas has become a commercial holiday in Europe and the United States, it is far from the marketer’s dream it is in Japan. Lights, delicacies, mini creches, mini trees, seasonal songs in stores, people dressed as Santa, dogs dressed as Santa, from November 1st (the end of Halloween, of course) take over the entire city (and I haven’t seen Disney Land Tokyo but I’m sure it’s crazy out there as well). In the city of single-hood, couples rumble and take over restaurants (some restaurants only take reservations for COUPLES. Yes. Verified fact). Family time comes later, for New Years Eve, when, contrary to Western cultures, kids stay at home and go to the temple with their family, to celebrate the past and upcoming years. The city is already preparing itself for the New Years celebration, with front door traditional decorations showing up on streets, people hurrying to mail their New Year wishes that will only leave on time to arrive on the first day of 2014 (Japanese genius) and stores selling this strange rice dough ornament that is used as decoration.
Merry merry Christmas from Tokyo, with love.
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| Beautiful tree in Kamakura |
