KFC: Japan's Groovy Christmas Tradition That Started In 1974

By | December 3, 2019

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It's beginning to look a lot like Kurisumasu. Source: kfc.co.jp

Every year millions of Japanese families flood their local KFC locations to take part in the annual tradition of Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii: Kentucky for Christmas. In a country known for their obsession over pop culture this may sound like a fad, but this Christmas tradition has been bringing friends and family together every December 25 since the fast food company created the Kentucky Fried Christmas concept in 1974. Japan isn’t really a “Christmassy” place, but after the Colonel introduced the idea of a family gathering around a bucket of original recipe this island of cultural connoisseurs found the Christmas spirit. 

A Lot Of People Celebrate The Colonel’s Christmas

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source: pinterest

This isn’t just some niche Christmas celebration that a few chicken crazy weirdoes are into, an estimated 3.6 million Japanese families gather around a bucket of FKC and chow down to celebrate the holiday season. Come December every year KFC locations across Japan get gussied up in red and green in anticipation of the Christmas rush. It’s not just the stores that get a makeover during the holiday season, it’s the Colonel too. He’s dressed up like Santa, complete with the hat and robe, and treated like an absolute prince.