Celebrating Christmas in Korea
With a higher Christian population than neighbouring Japan and China, Korea is starting to embrace the idea of Christmas. Thirty percent of Koreans in the 2005 census put themselves down as Christian, and Korea is full of Christian churches. Christmas day is a National Holiday, although schools and businesses do not close for any longer than this one day – kids and teachers are expected to be in school both on Christmas eve and on Boxing day.
Despite only having the one day off, ‘Christmas Spirit’ in Korea seems more prevalent than it used to be, likely with the increase in Western influences. You’re unlikely to see a plethora of lights, which you may be used to from ‘back home’, but if you look in the big supermarkets you can easily find artificial trees and christmas decorations for small amounts of money. As an ex-pat celebrating Christmas away from home it can be really important to take the time to decorate at home – it can make being away from home friends and family a little easier to recreate some home traditions. That being said you may find the absence of repetitive Christmas music playing in every store a sweet relief from the barrage of Western life.
Christmas comes to the big stores!
There isn’t the same gift giving tradition associated with a Western Christmas here in Korea. Children may be given a present or two, or some money, but are just as likely to receive nothing. Bear in mind that this is not the biggest or most celebrated day in the Korean annual calendar. There is a ‘Grandfather Santa (Santa Haraboji)’, who wears either red or blue, but he is by no means as large a Christmas figure as our Santa. That doesn’t mean that expats don’t have to throw themselves into Christmas with our usual gusto, and Christmas can be a great time of year to send small presents back to family and friends – decorated chopsticks for example are cheap and lightweight, as are some crazy Korean socks!
Sending home a ‘Taste of Korea’ can be fun to include friends and family in your Korean Christmas!
One of the best things, for a Brit at least, about Korean Christmas is the weather. Cold, crisp and possibly snowing it’s everything we expect of Christmas weather. It can make travel difficult but so what, it’s all part of the experience. What not go all out and spend Christmas up in the mountains partaking in some of the countries amazing winter sports?
Christmas food is a massive part of Christmas for many ex-pats. You may find getting a turkey difficult, although you can get them in Itaewon, but substitute in a chicken and you’ll never know the difference. Many ex-pats get together for Christmas, bringing different dishes from their home countries, and maybe even adding in some Korean fusion-food. It’s a great time to experiment, and speak to people from around the word about their home Christmas’s. It’s amazing how much ‘Christmas’ differs, even across Europe!
Small Korean ovens may make cooking a turkey difficult!
The main thing about celebrating Christmas in Korea is to embrace it. Enjoy the chance to celebrate a little differently, with different people, and enjoy patching together a few home traditions for comfort. Make sure to talk to your friends and family back home, but try not be sad if you can’t be with them. It’s one year of many, so have a very merry Christmas and, of course, a wonderful New Year.
Chuncheon’s Christmas tree street