The Origins of Christmas Legends and Traditions We Didn’t Know

In a marketing masterstroke rivaled only by Coca-Cola’s Santa Claus, KFC managed to create a unique Christmas tradition in Japan. Despite Christmas not being a major holiday there, a wildly successful KFC ad campaign in the 1970s turned feasting on buckets of fried chicken into a December 25th staple.

This holiday-themed fast-food frenzy has become so ingrained in Japanese culture that KFC outlets see advance reservations and specially packaged orders flooding in months before the festive season, making fried chicken an unlikely yet beloved centerpiece of Christmas celebrations in Japan.