Table of Contents

The Christmas season has officially arrived! And while Christmas isn’t a day off for most of our students, its festive spirit does not fail to light up the landscape in their respective countries.

So today, we’ll share some topics you can chat about with your students along with related vocabulary (bolded) that you can introduce.

Winter Lights ✨

It has become more common for people in East Asia to set up Christmas trees and put up Christmas lights (also known as fairy lights in British English) in their homes.

Do you decorate your home for Christmas? If not, would you like to?
Do you (or anyone you know) have a Christmas tree? What ornaments do you put on the tree? Describe your favorite ornaments.

However, most decorations are still done by cities and shopping centers, which put on light festivals and (Christmas) light displays to attract tourists and shoppers.

Where do you go to see light festivals/displays? (Note: Japanese students may use the term “illuminations.”)
Tell me about the best light festival you’ve ever seen.
It sounds expensive to put on light festivals! Do cities and shopping centers put on the same light festivals every year? Or do they change things up?
Is there anything to do at a light festival besides taking pictures and selfies?
What do you think about the environmental impact of these light festivals?
When it’s cold outside, do you think it’s worth bundling up to see these light festivals?

The Japanese city of Kobe started this tradition for the whole region when it launched a festival in 1995 to revive the city after a tragic earthquake.

Christmas lights in Kobe, Japan, donated by the Italian government

Soon after, many other cities and commercial centers in Japan began having their own light festivals. Here’s a famous one in a botanical garden near Nagoya:

At some point, these light festivals spread to our other countries in East Asia, i.e. South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

Would you travel to another city or country to see a light festival there?
When did your country start hosting light festivals?

Christmas 🎄

Christmas is celebrated differently in countries that our students call home. As we mentioned earlier, it’s not a day off for most of our students. Further, it’s not a traditional holiday that warrants family gatherings.

What do you think about Christmas not being a day off in your country?
I heard that families don’t get together for Christmas in your country. What holidays call for family gatherings?

Interestingly, Christmas is a day off in South Korea. This is probably related to the country’s large Christian population. But to be fair, Buddha’s Birthday is also a public holiday there, whereas neither are days off in Japan and Taiwan. South Koreans, it seems, got the longer end of the stick with regards to religious holidays!

So what is Christmas like if family gatherings aren’t the main focus? Well, you can be sure kids know about Santa Claus (and the presents he brings). They might even be able to sing some Christmas carols.

How common is it for people to give each other gifts?
Do you and your friends give each other presents?
Does your school or company do anything for Christmas?
What would you like to get for Christmas this year?
Do you know any Christmas songs/carols?
Do kids in your country believe in Santa Claus?

But what about people who don’t have kids? Here’s where the East Asian “twist” on Christmas comes into play. In Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, Christmas (specifically Christmas Eve) is basically a second Valentine’s Day.

Couples go on dates at nice restaurants and amusement parks, flock to winter light festivals, and of course give each other presents. In Japan, this holiday revolves around couples so much that many single people feel ashamed for not having a significant other.

There are even stock photos (like this one) portraying the loneliness singles face on this day.

For a Japanese twist on Christmas, ask your students about Kentucky Fried Chicken and Japanese Christmas cake. [Related: 5 Ways Christmas is Different in Japan]

Are there any special foods you eat on Christmas?
For Japanese students: Do you eat KFC or cake on Christmas? Why do you think these things are associated with Christmas?

Daily News Articles

Finally, if you need more ideas, Daily News has plenty of articles on this festive holiday. Here are two related to Christmas travel (or not traveling and staying at home!):

Here are some on how people spend Christmas:

Here are two on Santa Claus which can give you ideas for lessons with kids:

👋 That’s it for now!

We hope this post has given you plenty of ideas for conversations you can have with your students!

Make sure to share some winter holidays from your country as well. If you’re from one of those countries where Christmas is celebrated on a different day, you can be sure students will be intrigued by that!

Happy tutoring … and happy holidays! 😊✨