Merry Christmas! I’m Lily, the Santa apprentice! Today, I’m going to talk about Japan’s slightly unusual Christmas customs!
Hey everyone! Did you know that Christmas in Japan is super unique compared to the rest of the world? That’s right, in Japan, Christmas means “Kentucky Fried Chicken”!
This is a special tradition unique to Japan! I was also surprised when I first heard about it!
This story is really interesting!
Let’s turn back the clock to 1970.
That year, the first Kentucky Fried Chicken store opened in Nagoya, Japan.
At that time, fried chicken was still a rarity for Japanese people!
One Christmas day, a foreign customer came to the store. He said, “It’s Christmas, so I want to eat turkey, but since I can’t get it in Japan, I’ll substitute it with chicken.”
Hearing this, a KFC staff member had a lightbulb moment and thought, “This could work!”
And it made sense!
At that time in Japan, there wasn’t a specific traditional Christmas meal.
While cakes were starting to become popular, there wasn’t a fixed main dish.
So, KFC came up with the idea of a “Kentucky for Christmas” campaign!
It started in 1974 with a special party barrel set for Christmas!
The set included original chicken, salad, and even a cake—perfect for a party!
The campaign was a huge success!
The TV commercial jingle “Kentucky for Christmas♪” was catchy, and Colonel Sanders (the store’s mascot) appeared like Santa Claus, capturing everyone’s hearts!
Interestingly, the 1970s, when this campaign started, was a time when Japanese people admired American lifestyles.
So, having a Western-style feast felt fashionable, and everyone got hooked!
Nowadays, during the Christmas season, there’s a long line in front of KFC!
It’s so popular that if you don’t reserve, you might not get your chicken!
On December 24th and 25th, KFC makes about 10% of its annual sales—impressive, right?
When I tell Santa friends from other countries that “In Japan, people eat Kentucky for Christmas!” they’re all like, “What!? Why?” Because in America, it’s turkey that’s the tradition! But this is exactly what makes Japan special!
Recently, other stores have started selling Christmas chicken too, but “Christmas = Kentucky” has become a tradition in Japan. Younger people even think, “Hasn’t it always been like this?”
By the way, Christmas KFC is about 30% more expensive than usual, but it’s still super popular! Reservations start in November. The popular time slots get booked fast, so on Christmas Eve, you might have to wait up to 5 hours! Amazing, right?
This unique custom of “Christmas Kentucky” is a wonderful blend of foreign cuisine and Japanese creativity, making it a charming part of Japanese culture!
So everyone, enjoy this year’s Christmas! Don’t forget to book early! Ho-ho-ho! (That’s my Santa impression!)
