Translation guide
A social gathering to celebrate Christmas, common in Japan as a festive event with friends, coworkers, or family.
To refer to a Christmas party in general, such as a casual gathering or event.
The most common and direct way to say 'Christmas party' in Japanese. Used for any kind of Christmas celebration.
We're having a Christmas party this weekend.
Are you ready for the Christmas party?
Often used for more organized or formal events, such as school or community Christmas parties. '会' means 'gathering' or 'meeting'.
The children's Christmas party was a great success.
To refer to a Christmas party held at a workplace, often combined with a year-end celebration (忘年会).
Literally 'year-forgetting party', this is the standard office year-end party in Japan. It often takes place around Christmas and may include Christmas elements, but it is not specifically a Christmas party. Use this if the focus is on the workplace gathering.
This year's year-end party will be held on Christmas Eve.
A blend of Christmas party and year-end party, explicitly combining both themes. Used when the event is clearly both.
To describe a Christmas celebration at home, typically with family, involving cake and fried chicken.
Specifies a Christmas party at home. Often implies a cozy family gathering with traditional Japanese Christmas foods.
Let's have a Christmas party at home this year.
Instead of using a set phrase, you can describe what you do: eat cake, eat chicken, etc. This is natural in casual conversation.
On Christmas, we eat cake as a family.
クリスマスパーティー is specifically a Christmas-themed party, while 忘年会 is a year-end party that may or may not have Christmas elements. In workplace contexts, 忘年会 is more common and expected. If you want to emphasize the Christmas aspect, use クリスマスパーティー or クリスマス忘年会.
The company year-end party is always in mid-December.
A Japanese Christmas party often includes fried chicken (especially KFC), Christmas cake (a sponge cake with strawberries and cream), and sometimes gift exchanges. It is more of a romantic or family event than a religious one.
Are you going to the Christmas party?
We had a Christmas party at the office.
We had a gift exchange at the department's Christmas year-end party.