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Meri Kurisumasu
Today, we’re looking at Christmas traditions around the Pacific Rim. For various reasons, we can find people celebrating Christmas in interesting ways throughout the region.
When we think of the Far East, we usually think of Buddhism as being the primary religion. Many of these countries have sizeable Christian minorities and the Philippines are primarily a Christian country.
South Pacific
You won’t find any snowscapes in this tropical region of Asia, but the warm climate comes with warm hearts.
While the primary religion in these countries is Buddhism, their history with European colonial powers and their current role as premium tourist locales explains why they enjoy celebrating Christmas in spectacular ways.
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Christmas in Thailand and Vietnam is a riot of colors, lights and yuletide frivolity. They cater to the crowd of international travelers with a dizzying array of wintry fairylands. Even though Christmas isn’t officially a holiday in these countries, they enjoy visits and presents from Santa Claus, have Christmas parties at work and at school for the sheer fun of it.
Certain traditions in Vietnam harken back to their days as a French colony. They enjoy a Christmas Eve dinner called Reveillon, display their Creches (Nativity Scene) in churches and in some homes and enjoy a Yule Log cake they call the Buche de Noël.
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The Philippines are a devoutly Christian country with an 80% Catholic majority and they enjoy celebrating Christmas so much that they begin their countdown in September! When the “-Ber Months” set in, it’s time to start thinking about Christmas.
They celebrate Christmas for its secular enjoyment as well as for its spiritual meaning. Christmas begins in earnest on the 16th of December. There are nine early morning services to attend leading up to Christmas day. Like their Christian counterparts in Africa, Filipinos will stay up late on Christmas Eve with church services that last into the early hours of Christmas Day and enjoy a spectacular feast upon returning home.
They take their 12 Days of Christmas very seriously and keep on celebrating right up to Epiphany. The Feast of the Three Kings wraps up the holiday season in royal style.
Singing, dancing, visiting relatives and enjoying uniquely Filipino Christmas traditions are the hallmark of the season.
China
The Chinese culture and people are found in a number of countries and city-states in Eastern Asia. Very few are Christians but that doesn’t stop them from enjoying some yuletide cheer. The secular side of Christmas is enjoyable no matter where you’re from!
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Only a few people in Taiwan are practicing Christians, but it doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy Christmas. Santa Claus is a popular and well-known character. Department stores, malls, city squares and sidewalks are done up in holiday style. Gifts are exchanged and Christmas songs are sung with gleeful gusto by people in their favorite Santa hats.
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Mainland China is traditionally a Buddhist and Confucianist country, so Christmas isn’t a big holiday. Even so, it’s growing in popularity as a little bit of early Winter frivolity for people in the more cosmopolitan cities. Malls and city streets will feature some Christmas trees and other holiday decor. For the Chinese, Lunar New Year is the big Christmas-type holiday that they prefer to celebrate.
A uniquely Chinese tradition for Christmas is giving apples to represent the peace that the holiday is meant to embody. Even though the Communist party would like to see a purely atheist China, people can’t help but find the song Silent Night emotionally evocative. Since the Chinese word for Christmas translates literally as Peaceful Night and sounds similar to their word for apple, the two have become inseparable.
Of course, there are even fewer practicing Christians in Mainland China than in Taiwan. The Communist Party restricts religious practice to state-sanctioned churches, but Christians in China do celebrate the religious aspects of the holiday.
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Hong Kong and Macau are Special Administrative Districts of the People’s Republic of China. These city-states used to be functionally independent but were ceded to Chinese control with special provisions for a semblance of self-rule. Hong Kong was established by the British on the largely unoccupied Kowloon Peninsula. Macau was created by the Portuguese across the Zhujiang (Pearl) River to the west of Hong Kong on the islands of Taipa and Coloane.
As a formerly Portuguese city, Macau has an abundance of Catholic churches while Hong Kong primarily has Anglican churches. The European influence in these cities explains the higher percentage of practicing Christians in comparison to their neighboring Chinese countries.
Both cities celebrate the holiday joyously and ostentatiously with parades, shows, festive decorations in the churches, streets and shopping venues.
North Pacific
In the mountainous countries of Japan and South Korea, Christmas snowscapes are available during the holiday season. These beautiful countries have been friends with America and the world at large long enough for them to have caught the holiday spirit.
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Like many Asian countries, Japan focuses on the secular aspects of Christmastime. It’s seen as a holiday for spreading happiness and enjoying a little romance.
Christmas isn’t an official holiday but it’s close enough to the Emperor’s Birthday (December 23rd) for kids to have off from school anyway. Disney Tokyo is a big holiday destination whenever people do have the time off.
The Japanese put on spectacular light displays in addition to the typical holiday ornaments such as Christmas trees, balls and decorative packages. They enjoy dressing up in cute or even sexy holiday costumes to go out and about. You might see sexy Santa’s helpers, cute reindeer or silly snowmen.
The big things for Christmas in Japan is Kentucky Fried Chicken and Christmas cakes. As an alternative to a traditional turkey dinner, Colonel Sanders seems to have cornered the market on what to have for supper on Christmas day. The Christmas cakes are typically a strawberry shortcake.
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South Korea has one of the larger Christian minorities among Asian countries, so the religious aspect of the holiday is represented in Korean Christmas displays. Christmas is an official holiday in South Korea, so people can enjoy the day off with their family.
Beautiful festivals of lights and massive Christmas markets play a big part in making the holidays special in this wonderful country.
Koreans love to exchange gifts, say Hi to Santa and indulge in special holiday treats of every kind. Specialty hot cocoa, holiday-themed cookies and a special Christmas cake are treats that everyone can enjoy.
Christmas is a marvelous holiday no matter where you find yourself on this big, beautiful world of ours. Traditions and celebrations vary from region to region and country to country. The things we all share are yuletide cheer and the eternal hope for peace on Earth and good will to mankind.