Easter Goes Easter

BTW: no free refills (in case you were wondering)

Yokohama - It looks like Baskin & Robbins has gotten the jump on making Easter the commercial success that the business community in this largely non-Christian nation has made of Christmas. The ice cream vendor is hoping to  follow in the footsteps of that other eastward expanding American fast food pioneer, Colonel Sanders, who is credited with single-handedly making fried chicken synonymous with Christmas dinner in the minds of many Japanese. 


While other businesses are sure to try and seize this special day in the coming years, Baskin & Robbins has given itself plenty of time to put their corporate imprimatur on what is sure to be a new ice cold holiday for many. Although Easter day officially ended* on April 8 this year, Baskin & Robbins has extended the holiday until April 22 (PTL)! I'm sure the Colonel isn't going to take this surprise attack lying down though(or maybe he is since he's been dead for over 30 years) and given the already well-established association of Easter and chicks, I can only imagine what KFC has in store for the Japanese market next year.


*According to Wikipedia (and various other sources) however, Eastertide, or the Easter Season, or Paschal Time, is the period of fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday so B&R may actually be selling itself short.