Christmas Eve as a Romantic Holiday in Japan

Christmas is a holiday that is cherished by many countries around the globe – some people celebrate it religiously, some for the folktale of Santa Claus, some for gift giving, and others just to celebrate the winter solstice. In Japan, Christmas Eve is celebrated with more enthusiasm than Christmas day, and is considered a holiday for lovers.

How Japanese People Spend Christmas

In many ways, Christmas eve in Japan is similar to Valentine’s day. Christmas is treated as a secular holiday in Japan rather than a Christian one as it is in other western countries, and is even a working-day as valentines is. Couples and friends gather on December 24th annually to eat dinner together, exchange gifts, and take in the beautiful Christmas decorations. Many people will actually get dinner out at restaurants for Christmas Eve, similarly to how you would make reservations for Valentine’s day.

The City on Christmas Eve

Many shopping centers and city streets will decorate their trees with winter illuminations and twinkling lights. This creates romantic walking paths that couples enjoy on christmas eve. While a christmas tree may not be common to put up on one’s home in Japan, these lights are what adds a magical element to Japan’s Christmas experience. In more recent years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic couples have had to take in the illuminations from the safety of their cars instead.

Music on Christmas Eve

Christmas music about love has a huge influence on the focus of Japanese Christmas being on love. While the focus of time with family and friends still exists during the holiday season, romantic relationships are put in the spotlight. Many people in Japan will choose to spend the holiday with their romantic partners. As you can expect, this results in the holiday season being a very popular time for wedding proposals. Songs such as “Last Christmas,” “All I want for Christmas is You,” and Japanese hit “My Lover is Santa Claus” really emphasize this message.