Japanese Christmas Eve
In Japan, Christmas Eve is the main event for many Japanese. You see many workers hurrying out their office buildings to quickly meet up with others and there are many couples out on the street heading for dinner. It is also a time for eating chicken and having Christmas cake.
Christmas Day itself is not so special and if its a week day then most people will be heading for work as normal. I can't remember ever having someone say to me "Merry Christmas" on Christmas Day although I have been wished it on Christmas Eve many times. Is it quite different in your part of the world?
I went out tonight to do some late Christmas shopping. You can guess where from the photos ^^. I quickly snapped a few shots of Tokyo Kokusai Forum's illuminations which were looking rather warm and inviting.
What are you doing this Christmas Eve?
15 comments
Comments are closed. These are from readers when the post was first published.
lithiumangel
Ah , Tokyo looking as lovely as ever with some great illumination going on. This Christmas eve i'm just going to be watching movies with some friends all night. In Holland; you get the first and 2nd Xmas day off, and on Xmas eve you may leave early (left the office round 3 instead of 5) We have a habit of saying "Fijne dagen " Which sort of means " Happy holidays" and when you know your not going to see that person untill 2010 cause he or she is off from work till 2010 .. you say "Fijne dagen en een gelukkig nieuwjaar" (i.e Happy holidays and a happy new year) Ever since i got back from my recent outing to Tokyo a few weeks ago I've been cought up in more work,work,work than i could've imagined. So I'll just be using the coming long weekend off from work due to x-mas falling on a Friday as an excuse to get some things done for myself and catch up on sleep ! It's just too bad that in Amsterdam here, also being a renowned city off the world we have such crappy, tasteless illumination. I mean look at this.(points to picture) This is IT. These things are found across the shopping streets; and that's all there is really. I feel sad for tourists that come here just for X-mas as it isn't that merry; our German neigihbours however; oh boy. Those guys go crazy with the whole festivity. It's also a reason why most Dutch people go across the border to do X-mas shopping and dinner over there.
lithiumangel
uh. Weird it didnt attach the pic initially. [img]http://shibuya246.com/wp-content/upload/adam illumination-1.jpg[/img] Typical Amsterdam X-mas illumination.
shibuya246
I can see why you like looking at the Tokyo Illumination pixs. The Amsterdam one you are showing doesn't really make a good tourist advert does it? Thanks for sharing.
Donia
I'm working at my job tonight. :/ All of that looks so pretty! There aren't any light displays like that here. Hope you have a nice Christmas!
shibuya246
Thanks for joining the shibuya246 community. Good luck with your job and Merry Christmas.
Neksus
Another batch of night pics :) Great catch on the mirror windows (or what you call them).
whipcracker
A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you in Amersterdam. :) My ethnic origin is Dutch and Belgian. with my last name being Nooyen. If I ever get out of my financial situation I would like to meet up w/you and Shibuya, and go on a photo shoot. And that way I'd have a couple of great teachers to properly take pics :) And it's great to have you as a part of this family here. :) this is one of the best sites I have ever had the privilage to be a part of and am very glad to see it growing. Lets keep in touch, my e-mail address is leonooyen@gmail.com
lithiumangel
Merry Christmas everybody =) !
lithiumangel
Interesting :-) If you ever need to have a pic of anything in particular from Amsterdam in the meantime; let me know and I`ll see what i can do :]
shibuya246
Merry Christmas. Hope you have a safe and festive time with your wife and dogs, and that next year brings you better fortune. Try to keep warm :)
Kapoue
The little wood house are from a region of France call "Alsace" every year there is a bis christmas market were you can discover all kind of sort of typical food and sweet thing of the region. I take some picture of the yurakucho market last week also, there are on my blog. merry X mas.
shibuya246
Fantastic. Thanks for the info. You can leave a link to your blog post if you want and we will take a look.
Kapoue
That the post (in french by there more photos than texte) http://vincentfollezou.com/wordpress/2009/12/21/le-marche-de-noel-de-strasbourg-a-tokyo/ Next year there will be more little wood house, like alway in japan, Japanese prefer test something to know if it work before doing something bigger. welcome in the D700 club ;)
shibuya246
very nice set of pixs. thanks.
HELLOSHEENA
Wow! My Christmas Eve is waiting for Christmas Day! :)