Palm trees decorated with lights

Although the dominant religion in Thailand is Buddhism, and only one percent of Thais are Christian, Christmas is celebrated with great pomp. It's no wonder, after all, Thais are known for their love of partying, and each month is filled with various festivals.

For locals, Christmas has no religious significance, but it is heavily commercialized – primarily by tourists. Thailand is one of the most popular holiday destinations. Walking through Thai streets, you can feel the festive atmosphere. Palm trees are adorned with Christmas lights, and angels and reindeer complete the decorations. Artificial Christmas trees are placed in shopping malls and hotels. Malls are filled with holiday decorations, and hotel staff greet guests with Santa hats.

A 400-year-old cathedral bursting at the seams

Most Chinese people do not know the religious significance of Christmas, but Christmas traditions have also been adopted in this country for commercial reasons.

The "Shengdan Jie" or "Honorable Birthday" holiday is not a day off from work. On Christmas Eve, after work, entire families gather together in restaurants for dinner and then party at clubs. Children, meanwhile, are visited by the local Santa Claus, or Shengdan Laoren.

The Chinese eagerly decorate their homes with Christmas decorations, decorate Christmas trees, and exchange expensive gifts. Shopping malls and storefronts are decorated with Christmas trees, lanterns, and colorful lights. Joyful and festive music plays from loudspeakers, and vendors dress up as Santa Clauses.

On Christmas Eve, a solemn Mass is celebrated in Beijing. Crowds gather for the ceremony in the over 400-year-old Catholic church, and the service is conducted in two languages—English and Italian. Many people are too crowded to fit inside the church and stand outside its walls.

KFC for the holidays!

In Japan, as in Thailand and China, only 1,5% of the population are Christians, and Christmas is primarily a commercial celebration.

In Japan, Christmas is called Kurisumasu and isn't a family affair. The Japanese celebrate it like a second Valentine's Day. Most often, the holiday is celebrated by young people who gather together in restaurants and exchange gifts.

From mid-November onward, shop windows are adorned with festive decorations, and Christmas trees illuminated with colorful lights and Santa Clauses appear on the streets. Shopping malls are filled with festive decorations and music.

Christmas isn't a day off from work. Adults, while shopping after work, stock up on kurisumasu keeki – a sweet cake, richly decorated, with cream and a thick layer of chocolate. Another traditional dish for Christmas dinner is… KFC chicken, which Japanese people order in restaurants even months in advance. The exact origins of this trend are unknown. It's said that the tradition was started by an American who decided that chicken was a great alternative to Christmas turkey. This idea caught the attention of KFC management, who launched a special promotional campaign that made chicken a traditional Christmas dish in Japan.

Would you like to spend Christmas in an Asian country? Or perhaps you have some unusual Christmas memories?