~ 3 min read
The holiday season is a time when traditions and festivities bring people together, each culture adding its unique touch to the celebration. And while some customs have deep historical roots, others have been manufactured over time, creating quirky and unexpected holiday traditions.
The Amsterdam Light Festival, held annually in the Dutch capital, is a modern and enchanting addition to the city's winter festivities. Unlike traditional holiday celebrations, this festival revolves around art installations featuring stunning light displays with the city's canals and historic buildings become the canvas for international artists to showcase their creativity through mesmerizing light sculptures.
This contemporary tradition has become a highlight of Amsterdam's winter season, drawing locals and tourists alike to experience the magical interplay of light, water, and architecture. However, the light festival only started in 2012, allegedly as a plan constructed by the canal boat tour operators to increase interest and visitors during the quitter winter months when tour boats sales dropped dramatically.
We recently went out on a photo recce to capture some of our favourite light installations currently in the city. But while wandering around in the cold, atmospheric, Amsterdam night we couldn’t help but think, how many other events or holiday traditions actually came from marketing?
In Japan, Christmas has taken an unexpected twist with the introduction of a rather unconventional tradition – enjoying a festive meal at Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). This practice began in the 1970s when KFC launched a marketing campaign promoting its fried chicken as a Christmas delicacy. The catchy slogan "Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!" (Kentucky for Christmas!) successfully ingrained the association of KFC with the holiday season.
Today, it's not uncommon for Japanese families to place orders weeks in advance, creating long queues at KFC outlets on Christmas Eve. The unique fusion of Western fast food and Japanese holiday festivities showcases how manufactured traditions can take root and become an integral part of cultural celebrations.
One of the most iconic figures of Christmas, Santa Claus, has his roots in various cultural and historical figures. However, the modern image of Santa as a jolly, red-suited, and white-bearded man is largely attributed to the marketing efforts of the Coca-Cola Company. In the 1930s, Coca-Cola commissioned artist Haddon Sundblom to create illustrations featuring Santa enjoying a Coke.
Sundblom's illustrations, appearing in Coca-Cola advertisements from 1931 to 1964, solidified the image of Santa that we recognize today. The warm, friendly portrayal of Santa sipping a Coke by the fireplace became a cultural touchstone, contributing to the widespread adoption of this version of Santa Claus in popular culture.
