as if two great things happened at once; as if Christmas and one's birthday came together
Idiomatic expression describing a situation where two very happy or fortunate events occur simultaneously, like the two busiest or most joyful times of the year coinciding. Often used with 忙しい or 嬉しい. The literal image is the Bon Festival and New Year arriving together.
Today is payday and also my girlfriend's birthday. It's as if Christmas and my birthday came at once.
With the new product launch and the financial closing overlapping, it's as busy as if the two busiest days of the year came together.
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling for this set phrase.
Variant using 様 for よう; less common but acceptable.
From the image of the Bon Festival (盆) and New Year (正月), two of the busiest and most important holiday periods in Japan, arriving at the same time. The phrase is used figuratively to describe a coincidental convergence of happy or hectic events.