Why “Kentucky for Christmas”?
Hello! I am very excited to join the TORJA community and begin blogging here. With that being said, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rina, a half Japanese-half Canadian 22 year old. I’m a recent marketing grad with an interest in music, art, food, and beauty products (so you’ll likely see topics on that!). よろしくお願いします！
With the holidays fast approaching, I’m finally getting into the holiday spirit: decorating the mini tree, dressing up the dog, anticipating the big turkey dinner, struggling with last minute presents… Even got to make a Frozen themed gingerbread house with my friend!
These festivities made me think about the time I spent Christmas and New Years in Tokyo 2 years ago. In Japan, Christmas is not a huge holiday like it is here, mostly due to the fact that only a small population is Christian. Instead we had a simple meal with a very delicious cake (mostly from the depachika – usually the lower floor of a department store dedicated to amazing food). I did remember seeing a lot of ads for chicken, especially from fast food places – whether it be roasted or fried. One thing that lingered on my mind was… why do people say “Kentucky for Christmas” (クリスマスにはケンタッキー )?
Turns out KFC came up with the idea after seeing foreigners eat chicken on Christmas instead of turkey, which is hard to buy in Japan. After creating the “Kentucky for Christmas” campaign in the 70s, the concept gained massive popularity and became the ultimate tradition (Japan is talented at taking western culture and suiting it to domestic needs). They even have Christmas dinner combos that include cake and champagne! Hmm something interesting to keep in mind the next time you stop by your local KFC.
Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and New Year!
