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Have to want somebody “Merry Christmas” in Japanese?
I’ve received you lined lined—the phrase is メリークリスマス (merii kurisumasu). However remember: Christmas in Japan is perhaps a bit completely different than what you’re used to.
So learn on and be taught some phrases you should use to unfold vacation cheer. Plus, be taught extra about how Japan celebrates the vacations.
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Vacation Greetings and Properly Needs
Listed here are some frequent Japanese phrases for the end-of-year holidays:
メリークリスマス — Merry Christmas!
Romaji: Merii kurisumasu
That is the usual Japanese adaptation of the basic English greeting. It’s straightforward to recollect as a result of they sound comparable!
メリクリ — Merry Christmas! (shortened)
Romaji: Merikuri
You’ll be able to consider this as an off-the-cuff type of the same old “Merry Christmas” greeting. It’s usually used amongst associates or on social media.
楽しいクリスマスを過ごして — Have a Merry Christmas!
Romaji: Tanoshii kurisumasu o sugoshite
One other translation for that is: “Have a enjoyable Christmas!” This phrase contains the verb 過ごす (すごす), that means “to spend (time),” and also you’ll see it so much in Christmas playing cards and messages.
ジョワユノエル — Joyeux Noël!
Romaji: Jowayu Noeru
This phrase is French for Merry Christmas. Japanese is filled with mortgage phrases and phrases from different languages. You might even see this one on indicators and promotional supplies across the holidays.
ハッピーホリデーズ — Pleased Holidays!
Romaji: Happī horidēzu
That is one other mortgage phrase from English, and it really works for extra basic well-wishing.
楽しい祝日を過ごしてください — Benefit from the holidays!
Romaji: Tanoshii shukujitsu o sugoshite kudasai
This has an analogous that means to ハッピーホリデーズ above, however it makes use of Japanese relatively than the English mortgage phrases.
明けましておめでとうございます — Pleased New 12 months!
Romaji: Akemashite omedetō gozaimasu
With New 12 months following proper after Christmas, this greeting will come in useful too. You’ll be able to add ございます to this phrase relying on the particular person you’re speaking to with a purpose to specific politeness.
あけおめ — Pleased New 12 months! (casual)
Romaji: Ake ome
That is particularly in style amongst youthful folks and in textual content messages or social media as a result of it’s extra informal.
あけおメクリ — Merry Christmas and Pleased New 12 months!
Romaji: Ake o mekuri
Categorical all your vacation greetings with this straightforward phrase!
Phrases for Giving and Receiving Presents
As with most locations, Christmas in Japan is a time for gift-giving.
Etiquette is vital in Japan, so this can be a very good time to go over some primary well mannered language too.
Listed here are some phrases you should use:
贈り物 （おくりもの）
present
これ、好きかなと思って。 （これ、すきかなとおもって）
I assumed you may like this so…
詰まらない物ですが （つまらないものですが）
This isn’t a lot however…
気に入ってもらえるといいのですが （きにいってもらえるといいのですが）
I hope you prefer it…
お祝いのしるしです。 （おいわいのしるしです）
Within the spirit of Christmas (right here’s a present for you).
心ばかりの品ですが、どうぞお受け取り下さい。 (こころばかりのしなですが、どうぞおうけとりください）
Please settle for this small token of gratitude.
Important Phrases for Procuring
What are the vacations with out buying?
Listed here are some phrases you should use when attempting to buy one thing:
これはいくらですか。
How a lot is that this?
クレジットカードで払えますか? （くれじっとかーどではらえますか?）
Can I pay with a bank card?
〇〇 用のクリスマスプレゼントのお勧めはありますか？ (〇〇ようのくりすますぷれぜんとのおすすめはありますか）
Do you advocate any items for XX?
You’ll be able to change the circles with 彼女 （かのじょ）— girlfriend, 彼氏 （かれし）— boyfriend, 家族 （かぞく）— household, 友達 （ともだち ）— good friend and so forth.
これの色違いはありますか。 （これのいろちがいはありますか）
Do you could have this in a distinct shade?
別のサイズはありますか。 （べつのさいずはありますか）
Do you could have this in one other measurement?
Or, if you have to return one thing, use:
レシートはあります。 （れしーとはあります）
I’ve a receipt.
返金できますか。 （へんきんできますか）
Can I’ve a refund?
この商品を交換できますか。 （このしょうひんをこうかんできますか）
Can I alternate this merchandise?
この商品には傷があります。 （このしょうひんにはきずがあります）
This product is broken (has damages).
この商品は壊れています。 （このしょうひんはこわれています）
This product is damaged.
サイズが違います。 （サイズがちがいます）
That is the mistaken measurement.
ここに汚れがあります・汚れています。 （ここによごれがあります・よごれています）
There’s a stain right here.
Japanese Christmas Traditions
Japanese Christmas is a secular vacation. December twenty fifth isn’t acknowledged as a nationwide vacation like it’s in america and different components of the world. Individuals nonetheless go to work and college as traditional.
Procuring facilities will put up elaborate decorations and attention-grabbing lights, although. Individuals additionally spend Christmas extra with associates or companions, with household reunions and conventional customs principally reserved for New 12 months.
Whereas Japan has its personal distinctive customs for Christmas, there are nonetheless some areas of overlap with different nations:
サンタクロース （さんたくろーす）
Santa Claus
Nobody’s leaving out milk and cookies for Previous Saint Nick. It’s extra frequent to see folks dressing up as him for Christmas events. Santa additionally seems on most vacation merchandise and promotional materials.
マスコット （ますこっと）
mascot
As a substitute of Santa Claus, a prefecture’s mascot is the one which gears up in vacation swagger and visits everybody!
Christmas Sight-seeing
Christmas is a superb time to go to Japan due to the various holiday-themed sights provided.
Listed here are some phrases associated to vacation traditions in Japan:
イルミネーション （いるみねーしょん）
Christmas gentle decorations
These dazzling lights fill many streets and corners of Japan. One of the crucial recognizable decorations is Osaka Fortress. It’s mesmerizing to see in particular person when you ever get the prospect.
年末詣で （ねんまつもうで）
“12 months-end go to” to a temple or shrine
Temples and shrines play an enormous half in Japanese tradition. Across the finish of the yr, many people and companies flock to Japan’s historic locales to hunt success going into the New 12 months.
Some frequent practices for folks visiting temples embrace wishing for luck, blessing their houses and households and purifying unhealthy ideas and habits.
Japanese Christmas Meals Traditions
Neglect the turkey and sweet canes, Japan adopted Kentucky Fried Hen as a part of its Christmas traditions.
ケンタッキー （けんたっきー）
Kentucky Fried Hen
This crispy selection originated in 1974, when Takeshi Okawara, a KFC worker, began the slogan:
クリスマスはケンタッキー (くりすますはけんたっきー）
“Kentucky Fried Hen For Christmas!”
From there, the phrase grew to become the ho! ho! ho! of Christmas in Japan.
If fried meals isn’t your factor, attempt one thing candy. Round this time of yr, Japan has received lots of sweets to fulfill your candy tooth!
Muffins are quite common through the holidays, particularly sponge truffles.
ケーキ （けーき）
cake
スポンジケーキ （すぽんじけーき）
sponge cake
Japan additionally has a knack for making its delicacies stand out as a part of its 可愛い文化 （かわいいぶんか）— cute tradition so you possibly can’t move a window with out seeing some mouth-watering meals.
Be warned, although: many of those are literally サンプル （さんぷる）— samples or pretend meals meant to attract in prospects.
Phrases of Love and Affection
Christmas is all about love in Japan. It’s like one other Valentine’s Day.
Along with celebrating Valentine’s Day on February 14th, Japan additionally celebrates its personal model of Valentine’s Day, referred to as ホワイトデー （ほわいとでー）— White Day on March 14th.
However with regards to romance, Christmas takes the cake!
It is because Japan sees Christmas because the image of romance, as proven on this retro Japanese Christmas industrial compilation by Japanese Railway (JR) Traces.
Christmas is the right time for expressing affection. If you wish to get candy on that particular somebody, you may as effectively do it in Japanese:
あなたがいるだけで、クリスマスが楽しい。 （あなたがいるだけで、くりすますがたのしい）
Simply being right here with you makes Christmas enjoyable!
ずっと一緒にいたい。 （ずっといっしょにいたい）
I need to be with you at all times!
一緒にいても、離れていても、あなたのことを想っている。 （いっしょにいても、はなれていても、あなたのことをおもっている）
Whether or not we’re collectively or aside, I’m at all times considering of you.
私達の愛こそが完璧なクリスマスプレゼント。 （わたしたちのあいこそがかんぺきなくりすますぷれぜんと）
Our love is the right Christmas current.
愛以上に素晴らしいクリスマスプレゼントはないよね。 （あいじょうにすばらしいくりすますぷれぜんとはないよね）
There’s no present larger than love.
And when you’ll be going out so much, perhaps Santa can provide you sufficient confidence to ask somebody out!
Japanese Christmas Media and Pop Tradition
Experiencing the Holidays on TV
When you’re not serious about going out (or when you’re not in Japan), keep inside and watch some TV! Japan has received loads of vacation specials that they broadcast within the spirit of Christmas.
紅白歌合戦 （こうはくうたがっせん）
Crimson and White Singing Competitors
The NWK hosts this competitors for the New 12 months. The colours virtually remind me of Christmas however the focus is on celebrating the New 12 months with track. It’s value watching on-line when you’ve got entry! For some bonus studying help, yow will discover clips from vacation programming on FluentU, together with many different native Japanese movies.
Listening to Japanese Christmas Music
Despite the fact that Christmas is an imported vacation, Japan has a ton of unimaginable Christmas music to get up your vacation spirit. Right here’s a well-known Japanese Christmas track:
This track is named いつかのメリークリスマス（いつかのめりーくりすます）or “Sometime, A Merry Christmas,” It’s by B’z, a well-liked rock duo.
Different songs embrace:
クリスマスソング（くりすますそんぐ）
“Christmas Music” by again quantity, a well known energy rock trio.
Expensive…once more
“Expensive…once more” by Kohmi Hirose, though she’s most recognized for her “get down” track, Promise.
Merry Christmas
“Merry Christmas” by Bump of Hen, certainly one of Japan’s most iconic J-rock bands.
We’ve got a listing of extra Christmas carols in Japanese when you’re searching for much more seasonal music.
Japanese New 12 months
Not like Christmas, the New 12 months is a nationwide vacation. Companies normally shut from the primary of January till the third to honor the New 12 months.
Other than the New 12 months greetings listed above, listed here are a pair extra:
今年もよろしくお願いします （ことしもよろしくおねがいします）
Lit. Please deal with me effectively this yr too!
It is a fairly well mannered option to communicate and is normally written as an alternative of spoken:
謹んで新年のお慶びを申し上げます （つつしんでしんねんのおよろこびをもうしあげます）
Humbly wishing you a Pleased New 12 months.
You’ll additionally see New 12 months’s needs written as:
初春（はつはる・しょしゅん）
Lit., “Spring Begins”
新年（しんねん）
“New 12 months”
新春（しんしゅん）
“New Spring”
迎春（げいしゅん）
“Welcoming Spring”
Why do the Japanese point out spring a lot? Spring is named the time when 桜 （さくら）”cherry blossoms” are in bloom. This represents a brand new starting.
Till 節分 （せつぶん), “the approaching of spring,” folks usually put together for turning over a brand new leaf. It’s not not like New 12 months’s resolutions in different components of the world.
New 12 months’s Traditions
忘年会 （ぼうねんかい）
year-end events
From places of work to colleges, folks love gathering to have enjoyable and alternate items.
カラオケボックス （からおけぼっくす）
karaoke containers
These are karaoke rooms which are rented out for events. Aside from letting you exhibit your karaoke expertise, it’s a enjoyable expertise that may additionally contain giving and receiving items.
初詣 （はつもうで）
The primary go to of the yr to a shrine or temple.
This practice normally includes tons of individuals gathered round to have a good time the yr ending and a brand new starting. Like many New 12 months’s traditions, it’s supposed to welcome success for the New 12 months.
年賀状 （ねんがじょう）
Japanese New 12 months’s Playing cards
These are particular methods to follow writing Japanese. Brush up in your kanji by writing considerate playing cards to your pals.
You need to know that the Japanese postal system works somewhat otherwise from the U.S. one. If you wish to ship out a card, this visible information is extraordinarily useful.
除夜の鐘 （じょやのかね)
New 12 months’s bell.
On New 12 months’s Eve, temples additionally ring the bell 108 instances, which is named the New 12 months’s bell. Monks ring it to purify unhealthy spirits and put together for a very good yr.
New 12 months’s Meals
Who doesn’t love Japanese meals? You’ll need to get acquainted with among the phrases for scrumptious meals in Japan when you ever plan to go.
When you’re in Japan through the holidays, you’re in for a particular deal with within the type of お節料理（おせちりょうり or conventional Japanese New 12 months’s dishes.
弁当 （べんとう）
lunch containers
Japanese lunch containers, or bento containers, are a scrumptious option to have a good time the New 12 months.
These containers include fantastically organized elements corresponding to:
大根 （だいこん）
pickled radishes
海老 （えび）
shrimp
Bento containers are extra savory than candy, and consuming them is alleged to carry good luck.
年越しそば （としこしそば）
New 12 months’s buckwheat noodles
This is without doubt one of the commonest New 12 months’s meals, although there are completely different recipes and variations on how the noodles are ready.
餅 （もち）
sticky rice balls
Japanese sticky rice balls, or mochi, are made by repeatedly beating rice. This delicacy is understood for its impartial and nutty style.
Mochi can take loads of preparation to make correctly. There are many shops the place you should purchase mochi that’s already been ready and adorned for you.
乾菓子（ひがし）
dry sweets
Japanese dry sweets embrace dry sweet and cookies, and they’re good luck charms generally eaten on the finish of the yr. They arrive in many alternative flavors and kinds.
Take a while this December to discover a few of these Japanese vacation traditions. It’s an effective way to be taught extra about Japanese tradition and unfold vacation cheer on the identical time!
And One Extra Factor…
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