How KFC Became Secular Japan’s Must-Have Christmas Dinner

In Japan, where Christmas is a popular secular holiday, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has become an unlikely and essential centerpiece of the festivities, with millions of families placing orders for special “Party Barrel” meals each year.

The tradition reportedly began in 1974 when a KFC manager, hearing foreigners lament the lack of turkey, suggested fried chicken as a festive alternative, launching a marketing campaign that has grown into a cultural phenomenon.

Reservations for the holiday meals open in November, and by Christmas Eve—KFC Japan’s busiest day by far, attracting up to 10 times the normal number of customers—restaurants are thronged with people collecting their orders.

The event is so iconic that life-sized statues of Colonel Sanders outside KFC outlets are dressed in Santa Claus attire, cementing the chain’s unique and profitable role in Japan’s consumer-driven Christmas celebrations.