This coloring page shows a slice of the cake most families in Japan eat at Christmas: a strawberry shortcake of sponge and whipped cream, with a little Santa figure, a whole strawberry and a swirl of cream on top. It is a free printable for children, and an easy seasonal activity for care-home recreation and family time at home. Download and print the PDF free — no registration required.
🗣 Conversation Starters — for care activities and family time
Do you have memories of sharing a Christmas cake with your family?
What kind of Christmas cake do you like best — are you a strawberry shortcake person?
Do you remember blowing out the candles on a cake?
Tell us about a Christmas you celebrated with children.
Why is strawberry shortcake the standard Christmas cake in Japan?
The custom is usually credited to the confectioner Fujiya, which began selling a “Christmas cake” in the early twentieth century; it spread to households across the country during the rapid-growth years after the Second World War. The colors help explain why it stuck: red strawberries, white cream and a touch of green decoration are the colors of the season, and in Japan red and white together are also considered auspicious. The result is a Christmas food custom that exists nowhere else.
What Christmas cakes are eaten in other countries?
France has the bûche de Noël, a rolled sponge shaped like a log; Britain has Christmas pudding, a steamed cake full of dried fruit and nuts; Germany has stollen, a fruit bread dusted with sugar. They are so different from one another that tasting your way around them is part of the fun of the season.
When is the cake eaten in Japan?
Usually on Christmas Eve, 24 December, or on Christmas Day itself. Bakeries in Japan start taking orders as soon as December begins, and the 24th and 25th are the busiest days of their year. Many families now hold their party on the nearest weekend instead, so the cake is enjoyed across several days around the holiday.
