Each time we are home in the U.S. for home assignment (usually every 4 years) we are reminded of how different our Christmas' in Japan really are.
In northern Japan:
- we are busy planning, baking and passing out invitations for special outreaches (usually a big church outreach, a children's outreach, a ladies' outreach and a neighborhood party at our house)
- we are shoveling snow and driving on ice with our winter tires from Thanksgiving on
- we are baking cookies and breads ahead of time to freeze for our family to enjoy (you can't buy any holiday specialty food at the store- like chocolate santas or candy canes) and to give to neighbors and friends as gifts with Christmas tracts
- we are relieved to finally reach Christmas day and then enjoy a quiet week at home with our family
- we relish Christmas cards sent from friends in the States
- we buy presents on-line or try to find something appropriate (I mean you can use only so many Japanese wall hangings) and light (so it doesn't cost too much) to send to our family in the U.S. as gifts
- we are the only house on our street (and usually the neighborhood) with Christmas lights and a big tree in the window
- we write our Christmas cards months ahead of time so that we can send them back with a fellow missionary to the States to send for us (costing us about 1/2 of the postage)
-we special order a turkey from a meat store downtown, then we keep it frozen in a box of snow in our shed
- we are always a little sad and missing our family, feeling rather far away...BUT always so glad to have shared with some Japanese the TRUE meaning of Christmas...something we wouldn't exchange for Christmas lights on every corner, holiday music on the raido, special concerts at church or even a cupboard full of canned cranberry sauce and a cheese ball in the fridge!!
