ALT　ブレンダン先生からのﾒｯｾｰｼﾞ（30）

ALTのブレンダン先生から、メッセージをいただきました。高高生の英語力の向上のため、定期的にさまざまなテーマを提供してくれています。今年のこの話題も、素敵な写真がいっぱいです。

Christmas in America and Japan

I hope you are all staying warm! Soon we will be celebrating Christmas and New Years!　I have celebrated the holidays in Japan two times, and I have noticed many differences from America. Because of that, I decided to write articles about the differences! This time, I will focus on Christmas. Next time, I will focus on New Years!

Christmas is by far the most important holiday in America. We always celebrate Christmas with our families. I was surprised to learn that in Japan, many people go on dates on Christmas day! We do not have that tradition in America. From about November to January, we decorate our houses with lights and other decorations and listen to lots of Christmas music.

The foods we eat on Christmas are also different. In Japan, I heard that it is common to eat fried chicken, sometimes from Kentucky Fried Chicken. This was very shocking to me because we do not do this in America. We often eat either turkey or ham! Another major tradition in Japan is eating Christmas cake. I had never heard the term “Christmas cake” before coming to Japan. In America, I think some people might eat cake on Christmas, but it is not a big tradition! We do not have anything called “Christmas cake.” On Christmas morning, we usually have something sweet! Americans love to eat sweet things such as donuts for breakfast.

In America, our winter vacation is usually from about December 20 to January 6. Christmas is a federal holiday, so most people do not go to work! We spend time with our families and open many presents. On Christmas Eve, many children put cookies and milk on their table so that Santa Clause can enjoy them when he visits. Many American houses have fireplaces (暖炉), and children believe that this is how Santa enters the house! Above the fireplace, we hang “stockings” which are basically very large socks. Santa puts things like candy canes, which are peppermint flavor, inside the stockings!

On Christmas morning, we open presents! When I was a kid, this was my favorite moment of the whole year. Christmas is a very relaxing and happy holiday, and I am excited to celebrate it again in America in the future.