The 'Kentucky for Christmas' slogan was part of a marketing campaign in 1974 for the chicken franchise, and now every year around 3.6 million Japanese people sit down to eat KFC fried chicken for Christmas.
It's always a very merry Kentucky Christmas in Japan. Every year, millions of families make a beeline for the nearest KFC in Japan and order bucketloads of fried chicken. Children reach in for the best piece of the lot, commemorating what they know to be the most natural tradition–a KFC dinner for Christmas.
Since launching its first Christmas campaign in Japan in 1974, Kentucky Fried Chicken has successfully managed to make having fried chicken for Christmas a national tradition that lives on to this day.
In 1970, Takeshi Okawara—manager of the first KFC restaurant in Japan—began promoting fried chicken "party barrels" as a Christmas meal intended to serve as a substitute for the traditional American turkey dinner.
The 'Kentucky for Christmas' slogan was part of a marketing campaign in 1974 for the chicken franchise, and now every year around 3.6 million Japanese people sit down to eat KFC fried chicken for Christmas.
The official story from KFC Japan says that Okawara went to a Christmas party dressed as Santa Claus, and when the kids loved it, he was inspired to create the KFC Christmas specials. Another legend still says that Okawara, overheard foreigners looking for Christmas dinner traditions in Japan.
While turkey is a much loved Christmas classic, roast chicken, lamb and beef are all part of Australian Christmas traditions. And for an absolute show-stopper, you can't go past a glazed ham, studded with cloves and doused in honey for the ultimate Christmas treat.
Christmas lunches commonly include hot meat, with lamb and ham being the most popular, root vegetables such as potato and kūmara (sweet potato), and a variety of salads. As appropriate for the often warm summer temperatures of the day, it has become popular to serve cold meats and seafood.
As a whole, according to El Pollo Norteño, Australia consumes roughly 205 pounds of chicken per person, per year. This is more than any other country in the world including the US, which is believed to be the best place on earth to get fried chicken, of all things.
Santa Claus is commonly called Shaka Santa. This references the popular “hang loose” hand sign that you can see Santa waving in Hawaii. Mrs. Claus is instead referred to as Tutu Mele.
In Japan, KFC is commonly known as "Kentucky" or "Kentucky Fried Chicken." The name "Kentucky" is often abbreviated to "Kento" in Japanese, which is used in casual conversation or writing.
The major markets for KFC include China (7,166 stores), the United States (3,943 stores), Japan (1,140 stores), South Africa (955 stores), the United Kingdom (928 stores), Thailand (853 stores), Malaysia (743 stores), Indonesia (742 stores), Australia (699 stores), and Canada (601 stores).
It became a national phenomenon, in part because the Japanese were still slightly unsure about the protocols surrounding this foreign holiday, but they knew all about KFC. Combined with a clever marketing campaign, and Colonel Sanders' recipe for fried chicken is now synonymous with a festive Japanese Christmas.
KFC in Japan has rendered the chain's “finger lickin' good” slogan obsolete: It's now distributing special chicken-eating gloves to facilitate easy cleanup once diners reach the bottom of the bucket.
Eggnog and Snowballs, Mulled Wine and Christmas Velvet Alexanders... all very fitting for 25th December if you're wrapped up by the fire. Drinking creamy cocktails when its 30 degrees however, is far less appealing.
Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas In Australia
What is Santa Claus called in Australia? These days most Australians call Atnas (his real name) “Santa”.
Australians often celebrate Christmas Day by enjoying a Christmas lunch or dinner with their closest family and friends. The meal usually consists of a selection of hot and cold dishes, including fresh seafood.
Chinese Christmas Food
Like American traditions, those that celebrate Christmas in China have a feast. Rather than turkey and stuffing, the menu would look similar to a Spring Festival fair with roast pork, jiaozi (Chinese dumplings), spring rolls, huoshao (baked roll with or without stuffing), and rice.
Japanese life expectancy
This low mortality is mainly attributable to a low rate of obesity, low consumption of red meat, and high consumption of fish and plant foods such as soybeans and tea. In Japan, the obesity rate is low (4.8% for men and 3.7% for women).
Typically, a traditional Japanese breakfast consists of steamed rice, miso soup, a protein such as grilled fish, and various side dishes.
1- Merry Christmas!
メリークリスマス！ Merīkurisumasu!