masses in Macau's Catholic churches are held in either Chinese or Portuguese. Japan Encouraged by commerce, the secular celebration of Christmas is popular in Japan, though Christmas is not a national holiday. Gifts are sometimes exchanged. Christmas parties are held around Christmas Day; Japanese Christmas cake, a white sponge cake covered with cream and decorated with strawberries, is often consumed and Stollen cake, either imported or made locally, is widely available. Christmas lights decorate cities, and Christmas trees adorn living areas and malls. Christmas Eve has become a holiday for couples to spend time together and exchange gifts. A successful advertising campaign in the 1970s made eating at KFC around Christmas a national custom. Its chicken meals are so popular during the season that stores take reservations months in advance. History The first recorded Christmas in Japan was a mass held by Jesuit missionaries in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1552. Some believe that unrecorded celebrations were held before this date, starting in 1549 when Saint Francis Xavier arrived in Japan. Christianity was banned throughout Japan in 1612. However, a small enclave of Kakure Kirishitan ('hidden Christians') continued to practise underground over the next 250 years. Christianity in Japan along with Christmas reemerged in the Meiji period. Influenced by America, Christmas parties were held and presents were exchanged. The practice slowly spread, but its proximity to the New Year's celebrations makes it a smaller focus of attention. It became a popular celebration for non-Christians during 1900s after the Russo-Japanese War. During World War II, all celebrations, especially American, were suppressed. From the 1960s, with an expanding economy, and influenced by American TV, Christmas became popular. Many songs and TV series present Christmas as romantic, for example "Last Christmas" by Exile. The birthday of the previous emperor, Akihito, on December 23 is or was a national holiday. Businesses soon close for the New Year's holidays, reopening after January 3. South Korea Christmas is a public holiday in South Korea. Christmas traditions are generally mixed with Korean culture and cuisine, and Christmas is especially celebrated by the Christian community (Protestants and Catholics alike). Taiwan As only around 5% of the population are actually Christian, Christmas is not usually celebrated as a religious event in Taiwan. Before 2001, December 25 used to be a national holiday, as that was the Constitution Day, the day on which the Constitution of the Republic of China was signed