Similar to other nations, Japan celebrates the new year with a major holiday. Though the official day of celebration is the same as in the West—the beginning of the year—some customs may be observed on other dates, according to the lunar-solar Tenp calendar.
To mark the occasion, many individuals send greeting cards to their loved ones and prepare special dishes. New Year's Eve is seen as a period for relatives to get together in Japan, whereas Christmas is seen as a time for lovers. Even when kids are on vacation from school, they still have assignments to do before going back. It seems to reason that the festival would inspire a plethora of tales in both anime and manga. Below are some episodes of anime to help viewers enjoy the holidays.
7 Love Hina - “Silent Eve”
This piece kicks off with a timeless love story anime, Love Hina. Keitarō, the protagonist of this anime, is doing his best to study for his final exams as the first Xmas of the new century looms, but he becomes distracted by a weird story that if one declares their love on the Eve of Christmas, it will come to pass. Keitarō wishes that this special evening would be the occasion for him to tell Naru how he feels about her.
6 Sword Art Online - “Red Nose Reindeer”
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Kirito makes the decision to sign up with a guild in this episode. He has a close relationship with Sashi, who shares with him her fear of death. They are slaughtering beasts on the 27th story when the guildmates unwittingly set off a snare that would ultimately lead to their demise. Kirito, not in the same story as they are, is the only member of the guild to survive.
Further, after beating the Christmas-themed foe Nicholas the Renegade, Kirito returns to the bar where he lodges to listen to a recording of Sashi encouraging him to keep fighting for his freedom. Finally, Kirito is revealed to be human, frightened, and less of a douche than he looked to be in the initial episodes. This is a pivotal episode for the whole anime, and it's both tragic and beautiful.
5 Fruits Basket - “A Solitary New Year”
The original New Year's plot in both anime versions of Fruits Basket centers on Tohru and her buddies assisting the Sohma family with their end-of-the-year cleaning. Yuki and Kyo, being family, are obligated to participate in the annual family Christmas meal held at the family mansion, and they do so only grudgingly.
They were all prepared to watch the dawn together when Tohru's friend Saki said that this would be the first vacation that Tohru would celebrate without her mother. Essentially, this episode captures the magic of the moment.
4 K-On! - “Christmas”
Even though much of the regular cast makes an appearance, this episode is mainly about the bond between sisters Ui and Yui. When Ui and Yui were younger, Yui attempted to make it snow for Christmas by decorating the tree in front of their home with pillow filling.
As the festivities wind down, the snow begins to fall, and the two main characters snuggle up for the night, reflecting on their fortunate upbringing and sharing warm thoughts and prayers. As this episode shows, there is a tie between family members that cannot be severed, no matter how much bickering and fighting may occur.
3 Toradora! - “Mercury Retrograde On Christmas”
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A number of things transpire in this first episode, including the lifting of Taiga's suspension, the seeming standstill in Ryuuji and Minorin's friendship, and the revelation of latent emotions brought to light by the Christmas season.
Taiga's significant change begins in this episode when she chooses to be nice for the Holidays and makes it her mission, among other things, to assist Taiga in winning Monorin's love and aid in planning the classes' annual holiday event. The first of the three-part subplot, this episode was a triumph.
2 Toradora! - “The Christmas Eve Party”
This episode begins with a beautiful scene between two protagonists who, to put it mildly, got off to a rough start: Taiga and Ami singing a duet at the gathering. To wait for St. Nicholas, Taiga returns home by herself, despite her loneliness.
Ryuuji rushes to her home disguised as a giant bear since he knows she has no friends and family to turn to in her time of need. Taiga's expression of happiness is enough to make even the most cynical Grinch smile. Hope, compassion, and a chance for a fresh start are central to the episode, just as they are to the Holiday spirit.
1 Kimi Ni Todoke - “New Year”
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Several episodes after the Festive narrative, the finale of the debut season of this show occurs on New Year's. While on a pilgrimage with Kazehaya, Sawako receives a "bad luck" fate at a temple. Thankfully, Kazehaya trades hers for his, a move that brings with it an abundance of good fortune.
The tale closes with a reflection on their initial encounter, implying that the pair have come to terms with their affections for one another and may perhaps take the next step and act on them in the next year. A subsequent manga chapter also includes references to the celebration.