Christmas Food

'Christmas equals chicken'. So says a marketing director of KFC in Japan. A professor of business at a university here comments that 'the Japanese are keen to celebrate Christmas in a non-religious way' so as there is 'a certain amount of nostalgia attached to the KFC Christmas meal, people try to pass the tradition on to their children.' KFC is certainly big business here at this time of year. Dr Sanders gets dressed up in his Santa outfit and you can see many Japanese clamouring to buy KFC chicken on Christmas Eve. Of course many pre-order now to avoid disappointment. While it is true that many see Christmas just as a chance to eat chicken and Christmas cake with their family on Christmas Eve (the 25th being just another working day here), it is also true that people here are also drawn to churches which often hold candle services on the 23rd or 24th. These are usually simple services by candlelight with traditional carols and Bible readings, and a short message can be given too. Maybe there is an opportunity in here for churches to reach even more people at the Christmas Eve service. 'Celebrate Christmas with us and join us for a chicken meal afterwards!' It would be great to see the crowds flocking to churches rather than KFC.