EduCareer StaffBlog"Rinjin Blog" | "EduCareer"Supporting your career in English teaching in the Japanese school system

The Holiday Season

2009/12/28

The holiday season is upon us once again and although Christmas has finished (in Japan at least) we still have the New Year's holidays to look forward to. I guess most of you teachers out there have already started your Winter break, but for those of us in offices or non-teaching jobs let's just hope that the last couple of days of the working year end as quickly (and smoothly) as possible!

It seems to me as if Christmas in Japan is something everyone looks forward to and then gets over with as soon as they can, in fact this year I saw decorations being taken down at 4pm on Christmas day. Slightly early maybe! In the UK it is tradition to leave Christmas decorations up until 12 days after Christmas, until January 5th so I always feel kind of sad seeing everything disappearing on Christmas Day itself. Cities decorated with Christmas lights never fail to make me get into the holiday spirit, shopping in London can be stressful but also enjoyable if you are in the festive spirit!

I suppose though this may be because in the UK we do not have any special decorations for New Year unlike in Japan where New Year's O-Mochi and traditional decorations are displayed in shops and homes around the country.

new year mochi.jpg

Here at EduCareer and Global Partners our holidays start on December 30th which is when I will returning to the UK for 5 days of Christmas pudding, awful TV and hopefully walking through the Forest in the snow (I can't wait to go back to the countryside for a few days).

snow forest.jpg This is my hometown, taken yesterday (December 27th), think I will take my winter coat and waterproof boots!