Did you know KFC is one of the most popular U.S. fast food chains in Japan? Well it is, especially on Christmas Eve. This is the day that people wait in a long line for the special "Christmas Chicken Dinner." In fact, if you don't pre-order your chicken dinner, there's no guarantee you'll get one!
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| Photo is from here. |
Apparently KFC has done a great job marketing their product, making Japanese people think that Westerners celebrate Christmas with a chicken dinner (instead of the obviously more common ham or turkey dinners). I read here how this trend got started: apparently foreigners started eating KFC on Christmas because they couldn't find a whole turkey or chicken anywhere else. KFC saw the opportunity, spent a ton of yen on marketing the phrase "Kentucky for Christmas!"then launched their first Christmas set meal in 1974. It's been a growing tradition since then, and today if you want KFC for Christmas, you better pre-order your meal or at least prepare yourself to wait in a huge line.
By the way, in 1974, you could get the Christmas chicken dinner for $10, today the chicken dinner goes for $40!
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| Photo is from here. |
Another interesting Christmas tradition in Japan... the Christmas cake. The traditional Christmas cake is a sponge cake, topped with whipped cream and strawberries. These cakes are ordered months in advance, and are eaten on Christmas Eve along with the famous bucket of KFC.
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| Photo is from here. |
You can order Christmas cakes pretty much anywhere in Japan, from the local 7-11 convenience store, to your average grocery store, to the most elegant department stores.
Who would have thought the most important thing to do on Christmas Eve in Japan is to pick up your pre-ordered KFC and Christmas cake...?
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