Why 3.6 Million Families Order It Every Year
Why 3.6 Million Families Order It Every Year
NEED TO KNOW
- Christmas is a secular holiday in Japan, with many celebrating it like Valentine’s Day in the U.S.
- KFC for Christmas started in the 1970s in Japan
- KFC Japan stores sell 10 times their annual average on Christmas Eve
In Japan, the most wonderful time of year is marked with fried chicken — KFC, that is.
Ordering KFC for Christmas began in Japan in the mid-1970s and has since become a Christmas Eve staple. Every year, an estimated 3.6 million Japanese families opt for meals from the fast-food chain for the holiday, according to BBC.
The London broadcaster reported that customers line up around the block to get their hands on the festive buckets, with some pre-ordering meals as early as October. However, the holiday cheer extends beyond the food.
In the 1980s, KFC’s Colonel Sanders, who shares a white hair-and-beard look with Kris Kringle, began donning red-and-white suits around Christmas time. To this day, many statues of the colonel in Japan get decked out in Santa suits, which also serve as great advertising.
KFC Japan is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the party barrel (or party bucket) in 2025, with the restaurant posting
“>▶ عرض المحتوى المضمّن
on Dec. 5 of the holiday bucket throughout the decades. Keep reading to learn how the Japanese tradition began.
Is Christmas widely celebrated in Japan?
Taro Karibe/Getty; Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP via Getty
Christmas isn’t universally celebrated in Japan, as only about 1% of the population identifies as Christian.
Many, however, celebrate a secular festive season, with Christmas treated like Valentine’s Day in the U.S. On Christmas Eve, people really lean into the romance.
One delicious tradition includes a Japanese Christmas cake. The sweet treat is a light vanilla sponge layered with whipped cream and strawberries, similar to a strawberry shortcake. Much like KFC, it’s an American-inspired tradition, but its colors are red and white to symbolize the Japanese flag, via NPR.
It’s no surprise that KFC Japan includes a version as part of its Christmas meals. Who says fried chicken can’t be romantic?
When did the KFC Christmas tradition start in Japan?
Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP via Getty
The first KFC, then known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, opened in Nagoya, Japan, in 1970. The fast-food chain was part of an industry that expanded by 600% in Japan between 1970 and 1980, according to the 1981 documentaryColonel Comes to Japan(via CNN).
There are conflicting accounts of how eating KFC became a Christmas Eve staple in Japan. One is that the manager of the first restaurant, Takeshi Okawara, supposedly heard a few foreigners lamenting the absence of turkey on Christmas, which prompted his idea of a Christmas “party barrel.”
So, in 1974, he started Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii,or “Kentucky for Christmas”: The tradition of eating KFC on Dec. 24. KFC doesn’t cite Okawara in its tradition explainer on its official news blogbut they do share a very similar story about what led to the first campaign’s tagline.
From there, mega ad campaigns in the 1970s and 1980s helped cement the festive tradition in Japan. Now, KFC Japan’s highest sales week each year is during Christmastime. In December 2021, Reuters reported that the brand reached a record 7.1 billion yen ($62.5 million) in 2019 (per the research house Shared Research).Time Outmeanwhile, noted that Christmas week accounts for one-third of KFC’s annual sales.
Christmas Eve itself is the busiest day of the year, with stores seeing sales 10 times their annual average, according to KFC’s news blog.
What does the KFC Christmas tradition look like now?
Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty
The Christmas tradition grew from simple buckets of fried chicken to today’s Kentucky Christmas dinner packages.
Pre-orders and reservations start in October, and each year features a new design on the beloved buckets, which come with a commemorative plate. Even with advance orders, it’s common to see long lines at the fast-food giant on Dec. 23 and Christmas Eve.
YUICHI YAMAZAKI/AFP via Getty
The chain offers Christmas-exclusive items for the holiday season, including a premium roast chicken stuffed with cheese and mushrooms. Not only does the bucket feature a new design each year, but the sides change too. However, the fried chicken is always the centerpiece.
In 2025, the 40th-anniversary KFC party barrel includes biscuits, meat gratin, chicken tenders, original crispy fried chicken and a strawberry vanilla mousse. Other packs also had chicken nuggets, barbecue chicken or fries options.
KFC even opened its first-ever pop-up Christmas Restaurant in Tokyo in 2025 to honor its big anniversary. The limited-time restaurant was walk-in only from Dec. 2 to Dec. 7, offering exclusive menu items and wine pairings.
Disclaimer: This news article has been republished exactly as it appeared on its original source, without any modification.
We do not take any responsibility for its content, which remains solely the responsibility of the original publisher.
Author:Rachel Raposas, Emily Krauser
Published on:2025-12-24 18:00:00
Source: people.com
Disclaimer: This news article has been republished exactly as it appeared on its original source, without any modification.
We do not take any responsibility for its content, which remains solely the responsibility of the original publisher.
Author: uaetodaynews
Published on: 2025-12-24 14:20:00
Source: uaetodaynews.com
Find the latest breaking news and in-depth coverage on world affairs, business, culture, and more
