It’s Christmas in Japan!

Until recently, Christmas was obscure in Japan because, well, the country didn’t have a lot of Christians. It was only in the 1960s that the holiday became familiar by watching imported American and British TV sitcoms, many of which feature tradition-referencing Christmas episodes.

This presented the marketing department at Kentucky Fried Chicken with a great opportunity. KFC has had many restaurants in Japan for decades; the first opened in Nagoya in 1970. After learning

You’ll Have to Pardon My Turkey…

The National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation takes place every year a few days before the holiday and involves the President of the United States “pardoning” one of the birds slated for slaughter. The turkey is then moved to a new home where it will, presumably, live a long and enjoyable life instead of winding up on a platter in the White House’s State Dining Room. The rather weird tradition is widely believed to have begun during the Truman administration but the real story is a bit more complicated.