About one percent of the Japanese population identifies as Christian, so Christmas is a secular holiday in Japan. Since the New Year's holiday is the time to get together with family, Christmas is mostly celebrated with friends and significant others. Dining out is one popular option, and the two foods that are synonymous with Christmas are fried Chicken and Christmas Cake. Specifically, KFC has become an integral part of the Christmas experience here due to some clever marketing when they first came to Japan in the 1970s.