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One Holiday, Two Cultures: Japanese and Filipino Christmas

2025.12.21
Writer / 記事を書いた人
Doreen
the Philippines（フィリピン）

Hi! I am Doreen. I’m from Palawan, Philippines and I am an Assistant Language Teacher here in Japan.

Article

One Holiday, Two Cultures: Japanese and Filipino Christmas

▼ 記事の音声を再生

＜Let's learn!＞　
・I have experienced …ing
・instead of …
・A is more like B
=====================================

Christmas is a time for love, laughter, and being together. I have experienced celebrating Christmas in both the Philippines and Japan, and they are very different.

In the Philippines, people start celebrating Christmas as early as September. It is the longest Christmas season in the world. People start decorating, giving gifts, and doing Christmas traditions like setting up trees and playing music. On the night of December 24th, families have a special meal called noche buena. They enjoy eating noche buena dinner, gathering, playing games, and exchanging gifts. On Christmas Day, some families go to the beach, river, or pool, bringing leftover food from the night before.

In Japan, Christmas is also celebrated, but in a different way. Many people are not Christian, so it is not a religious holiday for many. Instead of family gatherings, Christmas is more like a romantic day. Couples go on dates, give small gifts, and enjoy seeing beautiful lights in cities. It’s a different way of celebrating Christmas, but still very fun and special.

日本語訳を見る

Key Points

Repeat each word(s) and example sentence(s) after your teacher/tutor.

Key Phrases 重要表現

have experienced …ing

…した経験がある

I have experienced climbing Mt. Fuji.

instead of …

…の代わりに

I played games instead of studying.

A is more like B

AはむしろBのようだ

This soup is more like a stew.

Key Vocabulary 重要単語・熟語

different

ˈdɪfrənt

違う、異なる

形容詞

Not the same; separate or distinct

I want to try a different color.

decorate

ˈdekəˌreɪt

飾る、装飾する

動詞

To make something look more attractive by adding things to it.

They will decorate the room with flowers.

tradition

trəˈdɪʃən

伝統、しきたり、慣習

名詞

A belief, custom, or way of doing something that has existed for a long time.

We should keep our traditions.

exchange

ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ

交換する、やり取りする、両替する

動詞

To give something to someone and get something else in return.

They exchanged phone numbers.

religious

rɪˈlɪdʒəs

宗教の、宗教的な

形容詞

Relating to religion; believing in a god or a group of gods.

She reads religious books every day.

Others その他

laughter

ˈlæftər

笑い、笑い声

名詞

The sound or act of laughing; happiness showed by laughing.

The party was full of laughter.

as early as

æz ˈɜːrli æz

早ければ～に、早くも～に

Used to emphasize that a particular time, date, or age is surprisingly early.

Farmers wake up as early as 4:00 AM to start working.

noche buena

ˌnoʊtʃeɪ ˈbweɪnə

クリスマスイブの豪華な夕食会

名詞

specifically the big feast or party held on the night before Christmas.

We eat a lot of food during noche buena.

leftover

ˈleftˌoʊvər

残りの、余りの、食べ残しの

形容詞

A leftover part of something is the part that has not been used or eaten when the other parts have been:

Do you want some leftover cake?

Christian

ˈkrɪstʃən

キリスト教徒、キリスト教の

名詞

of or belonging to the religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ:

Easter is a Christian festival.

Practice

Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence.

I (___)(___)(___) abroad.

ヒント：have experienced …ing

回答を見る

I (have)(experienced)(living) abroad.

Let's walk (___)(___) taking a taxi.

ヒント：instead of

回答を見る

Let's walk (instead) (of) taking a taxi.

This hotel (___)(___)(___) a house.

ヒント：A is more like B

回答を見る

This hotel (is)(more)(like) a house.

Article

Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your teacher/tutor.

One Holiday, Two Cultures: Japanese and Filipino Christmas

＜Let's learn!＞　
・I have experienced …ing
・instead of …
・A is more like B
=====================================

Christmas is a time for love, laughter, and being together. I have experienced celebrating Christmas in both the Philippines and Japan, and they are very different.

In the Philippines, people start celebrating Christmas as early as September. It is the longest Christmas season in the world. People start decorating, giving gifts, and doing Christmas traditions like setting up trees and playing music. On the night of December 24th, families have a special meal called noche buena. They enjoy eating noche buena dinner, gathering, playing games, and exchanging gifts. On Christmas Day, some families go to the beach, river, or pool, bringing leftover food from the night before.

In Japan, Christmas is also celebrated, but in a different way. Many people are not Christian, so it is not a religious holiday for many. Instead of family gatherings, Christmas is more like a romantic day. Couples go on dates, give small gifts, and enjoy seeing beautiful lights in cities. It’s a different way of celebrating Christmas, but still very fun and special.

Questions

Answer the questions based on the article.

Is Christmas in the Philippines same as the one in Japan?

回答を見る

No, it's not. They are very different.

In the Philippines, when do people start celebrating Christmas?

ヒント：They start celebrating Christmas ～

回答を見る

They start celebrating Christmas as early as September.

What do families in the Philippines eat on the night of December 24th?

ヒント：They eat a special meal ～

回答を見る

They eat a special meal called noche buena.

Discussion

Let’s have a discussion about the theme with your teacher/tutor or classmates.

With your teacher/tutor　先生とのディスカッション

How do you celebrate Christmas?

I celebrate by ～ing

When do you usually start getting ready for Christmas day?

I start ～.

Which style do you prefer: the family-centered celebration in the Philippines or the romantic celebration in Japan? And why?

I prefer ～. Because ～.

With your classmates　クラスメートとのディスカッション

What do you eat on Christmas day?

I eat ～

How important is Christmas to you? And why？

It's ～. Because ～.

Would you like to experience Christmas in foreign countries? And why？

Yes I would./ No, I wouldn't. Because～