We are thankful to the many people who sent emails, facebook messages, and cards wishing us a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Tauna's mother thoughtfully sent our address to everyone, so we have an abundance of Christmas cards decorating our living room. Each day we went to the mailbox and found a Christmas card waiting for us. It felt a little more like Christmas with all the love from overseas.
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| Christmas Cake and spread during TLC Christmas Party. |
Many people have asked us these two questions:
Is there snow over there?
Do they celebrate Christmas in Japan?
No, it doesn't snow in Tokyo. Well, not like it snows in the mid-west. It can snow in Tokyo, but most days are around 50 degrees and sunny. It does snow in northern parts of Japan and in the mountains.
Yes, they do celebrate Christmas in Japan!
Christmas here is more like Valentine's Day. Stores and streets are decorated with Christmas lights and you frequently hear hymns and carols. Christmas lights are very romantic. On Christmas Day, you and yours truly eat KFC and Christmas Cake (shortcake with whipped topping). When we were walking home from Christmas Eve service the streets were lined with clerks dressed in Santa suits trying to sell us chicken and Christmas cakes.
We celebrated with our church family all weekend. A few of us dressed in Santa suits and brought gifts to the families in the congregation who had lost loved ones during the year. We also had a joint service between the English and Japanese congregations on the Sunday before Christmas. Pastor Sekino gave the sermon in Japanese and Erik read the translation in English. Together we sang hymns in both languages. Afterwards we had a Christmas party. Those who were new members, recently confirmed or baptized were introduced and presented flowers from the children. We even danced the hula! And of course, we ate Christmas cake!
Christmas Eve services were beautiful. There was a special service just for children. The children reenacted the Nativity Story. The Japanese service was beautiful with hymns and hundreds of candles. At the start of the English service we had some excitement when a woman sat down and her hair caught on fire from the candle (she was okay).
Christmas Day we skyped our families. Erik went with Pastor Sekino to visit more people, and Tauna went to the Hongo Center for the Children's Christmas party.
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| Santa visits TLC during Christmas Party. |
