happy christmas!

While Christmas Day is not recognized as a national holiday in Japan, the month of December definitely does not shy away from Santa Claus, Christmas trees, light displays, and snowmen (though snowmen here are only made using 2 balls of snow which has brought up an excellent question about why we use 3). Anyway, "Happy Christmas" is written in many places around town, and every store sells Christmas cakes. These cakes are very popular, and they're not cheap. If anyone in Japan celebrates Christmas on the actual holiday, they probably buy some KFC and a Christmas cake and cozy up under their kotatsu.

I decked out my apartment with a 10-inch tree and lights for a total of 200yen (about $2.00). There's an illumination display in Tokyo that I got to see last weekend, and Tsuchiura has its own version of Christmas lights. They're more like Nightmare Before Christmas lights though ...and there's an equally scary display of lights strung every which way on a tree in front of Mister Donut.  Mister Donut is a very happy place. This is their holiday donut treat. I don't know what it is, but soon I'm going to eat it to resolve my curiosity. They have possibly the cutest advertising campaign ever. 

                                                               

I'm looking forward to winter break (from De

cember 28th to Jan 5th) so very much. I think it helps that I'll be working on Christmas Day so that I don't end up dwelling on how much I'd rather be home with family! Although the truth, of course, is that I would. Next week, I get to teach a class all about Christmas complete with American Christmas trivia, cookies, movie clips, and a craft of some sort. So I'm looking forward to teaching (but not planning) that. :D 

Did I mention how blessed I have been here the last 4 months? I have been so blessed by many friendships and lots of support here and back home. Happy Merry Christmas. Love you all!