Christmas tree lighting ceremonies will be held across Nishinomiya City this weekend.
At Kwansei Gakuin University in the city, the lighting ceremony will be open to the public.
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Kwansei Gakuin University Uegahara Campus
There is a large Himalayan cedar on the central lawn of Kwansei Gakuin University’s Uegahara Campus, and this year the lighting ceremony will once again be held there on a grand scale.
With the Clock Tower and Mt. Kabutoyama in the background, it may be one of the most photogenic spots in the country.
★Date and time: Monday, December 2, 2019, 18:30–19:00
★Location: Central Lawn, Kwansei Gakuin University Uegahara Campus
★Inquiries: Center for Religious Activities (0798-54-6018)
Kwansei Gakuin University Nishinomiya Seiwa Campus
At the same time as Uegahara, a similar lighting ceremony will also be held at the Seiwa Campus.
This tree is just as beautiful as the one at Uegahara.
★Date and time: Monday, December 2, 2019, 18:30–19:00
★Location: In front of Building 2, Nishinomiya Seiwa Campus
★Inquiries: Center for Religious Activities (0798-54-6018)
For details, please see Kwansei Gakuin’s official website below.
Kwansei Gakuin University official website
Why Are So Many Lighting Ceremonies Held This Weekend?
Kwansei Gakuin’s ceremony is next Monday, but why are so many places holding their lighting ceremonies on Saturday and Sunday this weekend?
In Christianity, there is actually a period called “Advent” that begins four weeks before Christmas, when people look forward to celebrating the birth of Christ.
In Japanese it is called “taikousetsu” or “kourinsetsu,” but “Advent” may be the more familiar term.
Customs vary depending on denomination, region, and church, but they include lighting candles one by one and eating stollen.
Once churches enter this Advent period, they really shift into Christmas mode, so I think many areas hold their lighting ceremonies around this time.
Lighting ceremonies are beautiful and romantic with all the illuminations, but keeping that background in mind might make them feel even more moving.
