On December 26, 2024, it may be the most unusual and unexpected Christmas food tradition that Japanese people have of eating KFC during the holiday season. For many in Japan, KFC is the centerpiece of their Christmas celebrations.
According to a video shared by the BBC on Instagram, 3.5 million Japanese families choose to have KFC for Christmas each year.
Customers line up in long queues for their festive fast food, with some even placing orders as early as October.
Although the Christian population in Japan is very small – less than 1% of the population considers themselves Christians – KFC’s website states that Japan started widely celebrating Christmas as a “seasonal event” in the late 1960s.
BBC journalist Tyler Edwards mentioned that among the minority groups celebrating Christmas, some view it as a Valentine’s Day, leaning towards romance, while others take a more secular route.
KFC said, “Initially, the celebration was just to make children happy.”
Now, the highlight of KFC’s Christmas activities is promotions, with a bucket of KFC fried chicken being sold with a bottle of wine. KFC aims to create celebrations suitable not only for children but also for adult Christmas parties.
KFC arrived in Japan in the 1970s and began its Christmas celebrations in 1974.
“The initial idea for this activity came from a foreign customer who visited a KFC in Tokyo on Christmas day and said, ‘I can’t get turkey in Japan, so I had no choice but to go to KFC to celebrate Christmas’.” KFC wrote on its website.
A KFC Japan spokesperson told BBC in 2016 that it is said that the manager of the first KFC restaurant, Takeshi Okawara, came up with the idea for a Christmas “party bucket” after hearing complaints about the lack of turkey.
Therefore, in 1974, he launched the “Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii” event, which means “Christmas with KFC” – a tradition of eating KFC on December 24th.
Now, the Christmas tradition has evolved from a simple fried chicken bucket to KFC’s Christmas dinner set, including chicken, shrimp gratin, cake, and more. KFC stores display statues of Colonel Sanders dressed as Santa Claus (his white hair and beard resembling Santa) and start accepting Christmas dinner reservations as early as late October.
December 24th is the busiest day of the year for KFC in Japan, with the website stating that this day is ten times busier than the average day for KFC throughout the year.
“Although the bucket and side designs change every year, KFC’s famous fried chicken remains the focus of Japan’s party buckets and Christmas holidays,” wrote KFC’s website.