In Japan, it's uncommon for people to eat dishes commonly associated with a European Christmas on 25 December. Japanese people are much more likely to eat Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) or any other type of fried chicken on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Due to a combination of tiny Japanese ovens and a clever marketing campaign convincing locals that fried chicken is a traditional American Yuletide feast, reservations have to be made to eat at a KFC on Christmas Day.
During the run-up to Christmas, Colonel Sanders statues outside KFC’s Japanese outlets wear Santa gear. The chicken is served in special holiday packaging.Demand is such that an online service has been created: order your Xmas Family Bucket in advance and have it delivered.December 24 is the day when KFC sells about five to 10 times more than other days of the year.
The global KFC website, in 2020, published an article to explain that the original idea for the campaign came from a foreign customer who had visited a KFS outlet in Tokyo on Christmas day and complained about the lack of Turkey. This gave a man called Takeshi Okawara, the country's first KFC manager a business idea.
"I can't get the turkey in Japan, so I have no choice but to celebrate Christmas with Kentucky Fried Chicken," the man had said. It is said that a team member of KFC Japan sales team overheard the remark. This was all that Okawara needed to think of as a Christmas dish in Japan. He eventually conceived the idea for a 'party barrel' to feed customers something special on Christmas. After the scheme took off in 1974, 'Kentucky for Christmas' became a nationwide phenomenon