When my family moved back to Japan when I was 10 after spending several years in England and America, I was rather dismayed that I stopped getting many Christmas presents. My parents shifted to the Japanese tradition of お年玉 (おとしだま otoshidama), money gifts at New Year's (more on that in a later post) and didn't put up a Christmas tree either. My mother did get a クリスマスケーキ (kurisumasuke-ki, Christmas cake) from a local cake shop, but that was about it.
One thing that did keep my Christmas time spirits up was the プレゼント交換 (ぷれぜんとこうかん purezento koukan) that took place at school. We were all assigned the task of coming up with some kind of present within a fixed budget (I think it was 600 yen), which we would exchange with the other kids in the class. The boys mainly settled for things like candy, cheap school supplies like pencils and notebooks, or toys and the like, but quite a few of the girls who were very 器用 （きよう kiyoh - good with their hands) went all out and made very nice handmade gifts - ぬいぐるみ (nuigurumi - sewn stuffed toys or softies), 編みぐるみ (amigurumi - knitted or crocheted stuffed toys), cute little bags, and so on. I, too, intended to make something handmade, and spent every spare hour poring over my mother's craft books.
But on the day of the Christmas present exchange party （クリスマスプレゼント交換会 くりすますぷれぜんとこうかんかい kurisumasu purezento koukankai), I had nothing at all! I had procrastinated for too long. So I begged my mother to make me something, anything, before I had to leave for school. My exasperated mother quickly whipped up something, and hastily wrapped it for me as I whined my way through my morning routine.
When it came time for the big present exchange, I was very nervous. I hadn't actually looked at what my mother had made (I was too busy feeling sorry for myself) - I just knew it was light and soft. I nervously put it into the big box of presents, from which we all had to pick a present depending on the number we drew.
Finally, it came around to my present being picked. The one who got it was a boy. I looked at him nervously as he ripped open the wrapping paper, and drew out...
A big puffy woolly pompom. Not even a pompom made to look like an animal or something. A plain pompom. （ポンポン玉 ぽんぽんだま ponpondama). I'll never forget the look of utter disappointment and disgust on his face.
Of course, I went home and berated my mother for her pompom. She snorted at me and said "what do you expect me to make in 30 minutes?" And she was right of course.
I hope you have a メリークリスマス (merii kurisumasu) if you celebrate it!
Today's vocabulary:
- 交換 (こうかん koukan) = to exchange
- 交換会 (こうかんかい koukankan) = exchange party or gathering
- お年玉 (おとしだま otoshidama) = New Year's money gift
- プレゼント (purezento) = present
- クリスマス (kurisumasu) = Christmas
- メリークリスマス (merii kurisumasu) ＝ Merry Christmas
- 器用 （きよう kiyoh) = adept, good with ones hands
- 縫いぐるみ (ぬいぐるみ nuigurumi) = sewn stuffed toy, softie
- 編みぐるみ (あみぐるみ amigurumi) = knitted or crocheted stuffed toy
