2019年1月20日日曜日 - 
Christmas and New Year - Jonathan
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With the
end of 2018, I was surprised to see how different the holidays were spent in
Japan compared to America. Firstly,
Christmas is not a national holiday here and seems to be more of an occasion for younger people. When I was younger,
Christmas was a special time for the family. We would spend time together and
give each other gifts to show how much we appreciate each other. This usually
meant my parents would spend money on my
brother and me and my brother and I would get a gift together for our parents.
This
Christmas I wasn't able to go home and stayed in Japan. I visited Kyoto and had
a small party with friends who were also staying in Japan. We watched Christmas
movies and ate lots of delicious food and sweets. New Year's Day in Japan seems
to be the equivalent of this, where
families come together, play games, eat delicious food and enjoy each other's
company.
New Year's
Eve (December 31st) in America is usually spent with friends and
watching the countdown to the New Year. The custom
of making a New Year's resolution is
popular. This is where we try to make a major change in our lives to improve
ourselves in some way, with many people
promising to become healthier or watch less television.
This year
I want to put more effort into learning about Japanese history and culture and
speaking Japanese. I also want to go to the gym more consistently and focus on
my health. Next New Year's Eve (December 31st 2019) I want to visit
a shrine and follow traditional Japanese customs.
compared to：～に比べ
occasion：行事
spend money on：～にお金を使う
equivalent：同等の
custom：習慣
New Year's resolution：新年の抱負
in some way：何とかして