When I was a kid I always wondered if Santa would visit the homes of my Jewish friends. Yes I know Christmas is a Christian thing but lets be honest, December 25th has become a pretty secular holiday that now celebrates the bargains we got at Wal-Mart. So is religion still a prerequisite for a visit from Santa? While I can’t speak for everyone, thanks to Google I can speak for a lot of Asian countries. And the answer is a definitive “maybe”.
In Japan less than 1% of its population is Christian. Not surprisingly A Charlie Brown Christmas does not translate well there nor is Christmas recognized as a national holiday. They do, however, celebrate the commercial, decorative and gift-giving aspects of the season. And for whatever reason, many Japanese think of Christmas as a romantic holiday like Valentines Day. Sorry Japanese dude. That means you get 2 “thoughtful” gifts a year versus a gift you would actually want.
Buddhism is the official religion in Thailand. Consequently, outside of a few decorated stores (to appease the tourists), the holiday is as popular there as a gay man at a Promise Keepers rally.
South Korea comes closest to the American ideals of Christmas. For one thing, 30% of the people are Christians. And South Korea is the only East Asian country to recognize December 25th as a national holiday. Korean kids also believe in Santa Claus. And while they acknowledge that he knows if you’ve been sleeping. And he knows when you’re awake. “Mommy” still knows best. Caroling is popular there as is the western tradition of claiming your child was the best Shepard #3 ever in the Christmas Pageant.
The Philippines are home to a whole lot of Catholics who treat Christmas as the biggest holiday of the year. There’s no holding back in the Philippines when it comes to holiday decorating, music and ugly sweaters. And just like American retailers, Filipinos start celebrating Christmas in September.
While China may be kicking our butts economically and in Olympic opening ceremonies, western culture still does exert its fair share of influence there. Sure, Christianity is legal in China but it’s pretty much controlled by the government. As a result, Christmas is not recognized as a public holiday (only in Hong Kong and Macau). Nevertheless, the Chinese do participate in Christmas-like festivities and decorating. And contrary to its reputation as being human rights unfriendly, the Chinese government prohibits radio stations from playing holiday music all day, every day.
So there you have it: a snapshot of Christmas in Asia. While it’s no Norman Rockwell portrait, I hope it paints a good enough picture that reminds us that no matter where you celebrate the holiday, it’s impossible to shop for your parents.
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