Korean Christmas

People looking for traditional Korean Christmas customs may be sorely disappointed.

Since the majority of both North Koreans and South Koreans are Buddhists and do not celebrate Christmas, winter holiday festivities are not nearly as elaborate as they are in the U.S. Also, celebrating Christmas is a fairly new idea in Korea. There are no centuries' old customs or tales recalling days of yore. Christmas is seen as more of a Western custom that has been introduced to Korea due to globalization.

South Korea recognizes Christmas as a public holiday, although North Korea does not. South Koreans, Christian or not, may participate in the following activities:

• Giving each other gifts. Gifts usually consist of money, but can also be small candies, fruit or household items.
• Sending cards. Cards in Korea usually feature snowy mountain scenes or other aspects of nature as opposed to religious art or pictures of animals or children.
• Decorating Christmas trees. Often Koreans will create paper ornaments or decorate their trees with popcorn. However, more Western decorations, like tinsel and holiday lights, are also present.

Koreans who recognize Christmas as a religious holiday will either go to church on the night of Christmas Eve, or on Christmas morning. The church youth may also hold an evening Christmas pageant and go caroling afterwards. Many Koreans will invite passing carolers into their homes for refreshments.

While Korean Christmas dinner is not as lavish of an affair as it is in the U.S., many Koreans use it as an opportunity to feast and visit with family. It is unlikely to find a turkey or ham on the table. Instead, the following dishes are more popular:

• Ddeok guk, a soup made out of rice cakes.
• Bulgogi, a barbeque beef dish.
• Kimchi, a pickled cabbage dish that tends to be very spicy.

Other foods likely to be included are sweet bean cakes, wheat flour noodles, various types of seafood, soybeans and dumplings.

Santa Claus does make an appearance in South Korea, as he is another Western import. However, it is just as common to see him in blue and white garb as it is to see him in his traditional red and white suit.

There are several Christmas festivals held in South Korea each year, mostly geared toward American and European tourists. Three big ones are at the following amusement parks, or fun parks, near Seoul. All festivals take place during November and December.

• Seoulland – This festival celebrates snow, ice and fairy tales. It also features Santa Claus.
• Lotte World – This festival has several parades and Christmas carol performances. All festival attendees can visit Lotte World’s Folk Museum at no extra cost.
• Everland – This festival involves lights decorating over 50 Christmas trees. There is also a village designed to represent a European Christmas. Attendees can visit Safari World decorated with a blanket of snow.

While Koreans living in the U.S. usually celebrate Christmas in the same manner as other American families, people who want to add a bit of Korean culture to their celebrations can try a few changes to their customs. First, they should focus on family and the religious aspects of the holiday instead of food and gifts. They can also cook Korean food either in place of or alongside American counterparts.

Additionally, people can learn some Korean Christmas carols, such as "Ku-ju na-sheon-ne", which translates to "The Savior Is Born." They can also find the words to some English and American carols in Korean and use those lyrics instead.

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