CN Japan burns down Christmas?!

[CookieS]

http://www.cartoonnetwork.co.jp/english/200412/04.html

This was a pop-up on the CN japanese site...such a strange name for a Christmas special block! Look at that evil image too! hahah.

[Startrekman700]

its those damned Al-Qaeda must be at it again.

[Chris Wood]

http://www.cartoonnetwork.co.jp/english/200412/04.html

This was a pop-up on the CN japanese site...such a strange name for a Christmas special block! Look at that evil image too! hahah.

It's just a bit of word play. "Meramera Christmas" instead of Merry merry Christmas. In this case I believe "bursting into flames" does not indicate actual fire but rather great excitement, as in English we might say something was "red hot" or "on fire." Admittedly the picture is amusingly evil looking for Christmas programming, but then again there's not really so much difference between Christmas and Halloween in Japan, apart from scale.

[CookieS]

Admittedly the picture is amusingly evil looking for Christmas programming, but then again there's not really so much difference between Christmas and Halloween in Japan, apart from scale.
Really? Wow, talk about lost in translation...

[PeppeRaskell1]

It's just a bit of word play. "Meramera Christmas" instead of Merry merry Christmas. In this case I believe "bursting into flames" does not indicate actual fire but rather great excitement, as in English we might say something was "red hot" or "on fire." Admittedly the picture is amusingly evil looking for Christmas programming, but then again there's not really so much difference between Christmas and Halloween in Japan, apart from scale.
I think "Red Hot Merry Christmas" was what they were shooting for, too. But you gotta admit, that graphic looks cool!

[j32885]

This would be different for once, if CN did something like this over here. :rolleyes:

[TheGLIVEN]

its those damned Al-Qaeda must be at it again.Yeah seriously :sweat: :D

[Matt-a-Tastic]

This would be different for once, if CN did something like this over here. :rolleyes:They wouldnt know what "doing something different" was if it came along and took them of the air

[Duke]

Because my mind is in the gutter...

Take a look at where Buttercup's and Dino's eyes are in that graphic. :evil:

And I suppose it's fitting that Bubbles looks the most evil and Pebbles doesn't look evil at all...

[Rover_Wow]

Southeast Asia has "A Very Jerry Christmas". Easier to understand than Burning Christmas, eh? ;)

[CookieS]

Well it rhymes, and its cute sounding. Japan's "red hot" idea wouldn't be so bad if they didn't create a graphic that looks like hell broke loose.

[Demonic Raven]

Well it rhymes, and its cute sounding. Japan's "red hot" idea wouldn't be so bad if they didn't create a graphic that looks like hell broke loose.It's Christmaaaas time in HEEEEEEELLLLLLLL!!!!!!!

[LordTerminal]

Thank you so very much for mentioning that. Now that song's gonna get stuck in my head again.

[Samurai]

The Japanese celebrate Christmas with a bucket of red-hot spicy wings from KFC... no seriously, that's how they really celebrate Christmas.

[lostrune]

The Japanese celebrate Christmas with a bucket of red-hot spicy wings from KFC... no seriously, that's how they really celebrate Christmas.
And a trip to the love hotel. :)

[Sharklady]

I am reliably informed, by Food Network programs and a couple Japanese friends, that they do some celebrating of Christmas in Japan, but it's mostly regarded as a holiday for young couples. They don't feel much need for another child-centered holiday, since they already have the Boys Day and Girls Day celebrations (the latter, some of you may recall, was profiled in a certain Pokemon ep.)

So, though it may look out of place to us, the wish for a 'red hot' Christmas probably fits their version of it.

[Duke]

Christmas in Japan is almost exactly like it is here, except without all the religion. They go through the motions, spend time together, give presents, etc.

[Chris Wood]

Christmas in Japan is almost exactly like it is here, except without all the religion.

So in other words, just like here.

[Duke]

So in other words, just like here.
Well, yea, except with Japanese family values instead of American.

[lostrune]

It's not even a non-working holiday in Japan. This about just sums it up:

Sex and Chicken Make Christmas in Japan (http://www.straight.com/content.cfm?id=7248)

Funny excerpt:

Christmas in Japan is strictly an import product, something cobbled together in response to the influence of American GIs stationed there after the Second World War. The Japanese were intrigued by the spectacle of Christmas--all those pretty lights and that strange fat man in the red suit--but they never bought into the religious origins of the holiday. All the different strands of the Christmas narrative got tangled up like so many errant strings of Christmas lights, resulting in the sign I saw in one department store, featuring a skinny, surfing Santa and the legend "Super Funky Holy Night".

I have tried to explain the roots of Christmas to some of my Japanese friends, and the conversation usually goes like this:

Me: Christmas is a celebration of Christ's birth. That's why we call it Christmas: Christ Mass.

Japanese Friend: So, Christ is a fat man? And he wears a red suit?

Me: No, that's Santa. Christ was a little baby. You know, Jesus?

JF: And the fat man is his father? So he gives presents?

Me: No, Santa is not Jesus' father. He was a saint, called St. Nicholas, and he...gave stuff away. And I think he brought some dead kids back to life.

JF: He's very fat.

Me: In real life, he was skinny. The Coca-Cola company made him fat.

JF: American people are very fat.

Me (squirming uncomfortably): Not all of them.

JF: Yes, Brad Pitt is not fat. He is a handsome boy.

ME: Yes, he is very handsome.

JF: I would like to have romantic Christmas with him.

[Sharklady]

> (Santa) was a saint, called St. Nicholas, and he...gave stuff away. And I think he brought some dead kids back to life. <

That's an apt summary of two of the most famous stories told about Saint Nicholas (who was a real person, BTW: he was a bishop in 4th century Asia Minor. All indications are that the original was, indeed, skinny.)

To flesh out the giving-stuff-away aspect: legend is that he heard about an impoverished merchant with three daughters who couldn't get married because they had no dowry money. To provide them with some, Nicholas threw three bags of gold down their chimney, & it landed in the stockings they'd hung up to dry over the fireplace.

This, and the account of him bringing three murdered boys back to life, contributed to his being named the Patron Saint of Children.

And of course I'm looking forward to his visit tonight. :D

[Demonic Raven]

Japanese christmas....chicken and sex....now all we need is beer! :anime:

Hah...j/k of course. But that is pretty funny.

[Dudley]

Funny excerpt:

Christmas in Japan is strictly an import product, something cobbled together in response to the influence of American GIs stationed there after the Second World War. The Japanese were intrigued by the spectacle of Christmas--all those pretty lights and that strange fat man in the red suit--but they never bought into the religious origins of the holiday. All the different strands of the Christmas narrative got tangled up like so many errant strings of Christmas lights, resulting in the sign I saw in one department store, featuring a skinny, surfing Santa and the legend "Super Funky Holy Night".

I have tried to explain the roots of Christmas to some of my Japanese friends, and the conversation usually goes like this:

Me: Christmas is a celebration of Christ's birth. That's why we call it Christmas: Christ Mass.

Japanese Friend: So, Christ is a fat man? And he wears a red suit?

Me: No, that's Santa. Christ was a little baby. You know, Jesus?

JF: And the fat man is his father? So he gives presents?

Me: No, Santa is not Jesus' father. He was a saint, called St. Nicholas, and he...gave stuff away. And I think he brought some dead kids back to life.

JF: He's very fat.

Me: In real life, he was skinny. The Coca-Cola company made him fat.

JF: American people are very fat.

Me (squirming uncomfortably): Not all of them.

JF: Yes, Brad Pitt is not fat. He is a handsome boy.

ME: Yes, he is very handsome.

JF: I would like to have romantic Christmas with him.
LOL!!

Anyhoo, call me crazy but I think the "meramera christmas" was trying to go for an action-packed Christmas image (oddly enough, since none of the specials they aired were action-packed).

[Tash]

It's just a bit of word play. "Meramera Christmas" instead of Merry merry Christmas. In this case I believe "bursting into flames" does not indicate actual fire but rather great excitement, as in English we might say something was "red hot" or "on fire." Admittedly the picture is amusingly evil looking for Christmas programming, but then again there's not really so much difference between Christmas and Halloween in Japan, apart from scale.I take it that explains the "Merry Christmas (see you in hell)" gag in the SGT Frog Manga?

[MahouShoujo13]

It's not even a non-working holiday in Japan. This about just sums it up:

Sex and Chicken Make Christmas in Japan (http://www.straight.com/content.cfm?id=7248)

Funny excerpt:

Christmas in Japan is strictly an import product, something cobbled together in response to the influence of American GIs stationed there after the Second World War. The Japanese were intrigued by the spectacle of Christmas--all those pretty lights and that strange fat man in the red suit--but they never bought into the religious origins of the holiday. All the different strands of the Christmas narrative got tangled up like so many errant strings of Christmas lights, resulting in the sign I saw in one department store, featuring a skinny, surfing Santa and the legend "Super Funky Holy Night".

I have tried to explain the roots of Christmas to some of my Japanese friends, and the conversation usually goes like this:

Me: Christmas is a celebration of Christ's birth. That's why we call it Christmas: Christ Mass.

Japanese Friend: So, Christ is a fat man? And he wears a red suit?

Me: No, that's Santa. Christ was a little baby. You know, Jesus?

JF: And the fat man is his father? So he gives presents?

Me: No, Santa is not Jesus' father. He was a saint, called St. Nicholas, and he...gave stuff away. And I think he brought some dead kids back to life.

JF: He's very fat.

Me: In real life, he was skinny. The Coca-Cola company made him fat.

JF: American people are very fat.

Me (squirming uncomfortably): Not all of them.

JF: Yes, Brad Pitt is not fat. He is a handsome boy.

ME: Yes, he is very handsome.

JF: I would like to have romantic Christmas with him.


LOL!!!!!!!!!! Boy do the Japanese have some weird ideas of Christmas.

As for the "meramera Christmas", it's either word play or how "merry" is written in Japanese katana. Or because that's how they pronounce(sp?) the word.

[Chris Wood]

It's not even a non-working holiday in Japan.
[/i]

Well of course it isn't a national holiday. When was the last time your school or office closed for Ramadan?

[Bartman3010]

Well Santa was originally Coca Cola's christmas mascot. So really its the man who promoted caffinated drinks.

[lostrune]

Well Santa was originally Coca Cola's christmas mascot. So really its the man who promoted caffinated drinks.
The fat Santa, at least.

In the beginning, there was St. Nicholas/Niklaas in various cultures, but he's said to usually visit around the first week of December. The thing that really put 2 and 2 together was the famous ballad "T'was the Night Before Christmas," which also introduced the reindeers, in the 1820s (well before Coca Cola was founded).

[Sharklady]

Famed political cartoonist Thomas Nast had a role in the transformation of Santa Claus, too. In 1881 he drew a picture for Harper's Weekly, of the Saint in the jolly, portly guise we know today.

Here's a website which shows that picture, and other landmarks along the history of Kris Kringle:

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=35

[lostrune]

Famed political cartoonist Thomas Nast had a role in the transformation of Santa Claus, too. In 1881 he drew a picture for Harper's Weekly, of the Saint in the jolly, portly guise we know today.

Here's a website which shows that picture, and other landmarks along the history of Kris Kringle:

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=35
Yep. Nast had a lot of practice drawing the fat corrupt rich and politicians like Boss Tweed. :)

[Conan-san]

Or maybe it's all just a sly tour de refernceal to Flame or Recca