在一些国家，圣诞节平安夜可能正是人们忙着大采购或是家长绞尽脑汁给孩子们准备礼物的时候；而在日本，平安夜绝对是情侣们享受浓情蜜意的最浪漫之夜。

    据路透社12月14日报道，日本的休闲杂志总是鼓励年轻的情侣应该在平安夜漫步在被华灯笼罩的街头，或是去高级饭店享用仅属于两个人的烛光晚餐，甚至应该去最高档的酒店感受一夜的浪漫。

    每逢圣诞来临之际，日本著名的情侣约会地——东京铁塔的了望台上将放置心形的照明物和一颗名为“爱情树”的圣诞树。东京的情侣们流行在平安夜来到这里许下对自己爱情的祝福，并在“爱情树”上系上属于自己的丝带。

    报道说，在日本，只有1％的人是基督教徒，而12月25日圣诞节这天对大多数人而言都是正常的工作日。但从二战后日本经济复苏以来，每逢圣诞节，商业街都被装点出浓重的节日气氛，而人们之间也流行交换礼物。在日本，现代的圣诞节“传统”还包括吃奶油草莓蛋糕，或是一家人分享一大桶肯德基外卖食物。

    Christmas Eve in some parts of the world may find parents battling crowds of other last-minute shoppers or struggling to assemble toys as their children sleep, but in Japan the holiday is as much for couples as for kids.

    Magazines aimed at the young and in love are filled with advice on the best places to stroll down streets illuminated with stunning displays of Christmas lights, the best restaurants for a cosy dinner for two -- and the best hotels for a romantic night.

    Tokyo Tower, a popular dating spot, is lighting up a heart-shaped illumination on its observation deck every night until Christmas. Some believe that couples who stand under the tower when the lights go on must vow eternal love.

    Lovers can also tie a ribbon to a special Christmas "love tree" on the tower's observation deck.

    Nearby, the new Tokyo Prince Hotel Park Tower has two specially decorated Christmas suites on offer for 2 million yen ($16,660) a night, fancy dinner included.

    Only about 1 percent of Japan's population is Christian, and December 25 is a working day for most people, but practices such as decorating shopping streets and exchanging gifts became common in the robust consumer economy that emerged after World War Two.

    Modern "traditions" include Christmas Cake -- a sponge cake with strawberries and whipped cream eaten on Christmas Eve -- and, for some families, a take-out bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.