25 Days of Weird Christmas: Kentucky Fried Japan

A note on some problems of cultural bias:
Okay, I understand that at some level a blog series called "25 Days of Weird Christmas" that includes entries about unusual traditions from around the world begs the question: what is "weird" anyway? Who are we to say that the Caganer is a bizarrely scatological addition to the classic nativity scene? Or that rampaging through the streets wearing demon masks and terrifying old ladies might be a bit off color? Obviously, to label something as a weird tradition is to make a normative claim that there really is a right or wrong way to celebrate and that American traditions are the standard by which to judge normalcy. Is that really the message we really want to send--do we really want Santas worldwide to sport six packs?
With that said, Japan is weird.
Or at least, it's hard to ignore the country's reputation for producing a huge volume of weird stuff. From the guy who wants to marry a pillow to the unique fashion sense of Goth Lolitas, the country seems to know how to churn out kooky trends and customs (at least in the normative gaze of the mainstream West, etc...)
Compared to something like the the lap pillow, the Japanese Christmas tradition of eating Kentucky Fried Chicken seems pretty mundane, but for the purposes of this blog series, it's worth a nod.
Blame it on savvy overseas marketing strategies by the fast food juggernaut or the mostly non-religious attitudes towards the holiday, but indulging in greasy buckets of KFC has become a commonplace practice on Christmas in Japan. Lines are known to stretch out the door on Christmas day as people wait for their annual treat. At only 5 bucks for the holiday special, "the Christmas Chicken," who needs to spring for a goose? And look how happy these people in the commercial are, it makes me want to pay a visit to Colonel Saunders myself.