Today is Christmas in Japan. It feels just like any other day. I'm going to work (and working a 13 hr day I might add), and were it not for the decorations at Universal Studios and various places around town, and Christmas merriment brought mostly by my fellow westerner friends, you wouldn't be able to tell that it's Christmas as we know it back home. I've been spared countless Christmas TV ads, Black Friday doesn't exist here, and holiday parties that lead up to the actual day - with friends old and new - have been virtually non-existent. That may all sound bleak and depressing, but I am happy. I have a great extended family here in Japan and they make me feel loved.
Being in Japan and away from all of the Holiday hype back home, I thought I would be really sad. Yet, when I contemplate this season and what it means to me - why I miss being home at this time of year and why I thought I would be really sad today more-so than other days of the year - I find that the reason this season and this particular day is important to me is not because of presents, commercialism, or even the exciting hype and traditions that comes with Christmas in the States. Family, friends, and love are what is important. The fact that I get to see all (or most) of my family this time of year, the fact that coming home means seeing and reuniting with friends that I haven't seen in a good while, and that from those experiences and people I get such joy and receive such outpourings of love from them all is what this season means to me.
And, if I can feel such love from people who are flawed, I can only imagine how much I am loved by the Divine who loves unconditionally. Who loved me enough to come to earth in the humble form of a man, put himself through the human experience, and sacrifice himself so that I might be redeemed from all of my failures and shortcomings as a human. I do miss home, but I am thankful for a holiday experience where I can actually contemplate on this.
Christmas does exist in Japan, by the way. It is more a holiday about couples - almost like they took Valentine's day fused it with Christmas decorations.
And apparently a meal from KFC is typical this time of year back in America?? Apparently, KFC had a stand set up at several of the Subway stations selling boxed dinners to people passing by. People have for whatever reason bought into and adopted as their own tradition the notion that a fried chicken dinner is what we have back in the states to celebrate this season. Oh, Japan :) Enjoy this day, this season, and love on each other!
No comments:
Post a Comment