How To Celebrate Christmas In Korea

Christmas successful Korea (크리스마스, keuriseumaseu, nan Hangul transliteration of Christmas) is not arsenic wide celebrated arsenic it is successful nan West. While it is simply a nationalist vacation pinch schools and offices closed, nan festivities typically past only 1 day. Let’s research nan characteristics of Christmas successful Korea.

Christmas ambiance successful Korea

Christmas successful Korea whitethorn not beryllium arsenic wide celebrated arsenic successful Western countries, but that doesn’t mean it goes unnoticed. After Halloween, shops, and particularly java shops, instantly switch their decorations pinch those for Christmas. Sometimes, you mightiness moreover find places wherever some sets of decorations are displayed together for a short period. However, don’t expect to spot Christmas lights everywhere. Nevertheless, you tin usually find Christmas trees successful main shopping regions.

The conception of Christmas successful Korea is chiefly divided into 2 categories: arsenic a couple’s ceremony aliases arsenic a belief vacation for Christians to beryllium spent pinch family.

A 2nd Valentine’s day?

For astir Koreans, akin to Japanese, Christmas is seen arsenic a couple’s holiday, akin to a 2nd Valentine’s Day. If you are successful a relationship, you will apt walk Christmas time romantically pinch your important other. To scope nan tallness of romance, galore Koreans effort to coincide nan 100th time of their narration with Christmas. In a relationship, reaching 100 days together is considered a typical juncture earlier nan anniversary. This is why September 17 is called Gobaek day (고백데이, Confession Day). On this day, if you confess your feelings to nan personification you like, and if successful, nan 100th time of your narration will coincide pinch Christmas.

Religious Celebration

Despite Buddhism being nan astir prevalent belief successful Korea, astir 30% of nan organization is Christian (mostly Protestant). This conception of nan population, therefore, observe Christmas successful Korea arsenic a religious occasion by attending religion services and spending nan remainder of nan time pinch their family. However, being a Christian doesn’t preclude a Korean from celebrating nan time pinch their partner aft nan religion ceremony. The prime of really to walk Christmas varies from personification to person.

Things to do astatine Christmas successful Korea

Single and non-Christian Koreans typically walk Christmas pinch their family aliases friends. For those who want to walk a nosy Christmas successful Korea, there are galore activities to do, including shopping (쇼핑하다, shoping hada), crystal skating (아이스 스케이팅, aiseu seukeiting) and going to nan movies (영화관에 가다, yeonghwakwane gada).

As for Christmas gifts, they are not ever exchanged. However, if invited to someone’s home, a Christmas barroom aliases different nutrient items aliases necessities are usually exchanged. Couples, connected nan different hand, often speech typical gifts.

Christmas nutrient successful Korea

Since Christmas successful Korea is an imported vacation and not a accepted holiday, location are nary typical dishes to beryllium eaten during this day. One eats bully aliases bad mundane food, specified arsenic soups (국, guk), noodles (면, myeon) aliases grilled nutrient (고기, gogi). This is ever accompanied by nan ever-present banchan (반찬), nan Korean broadside dishes , among which kimchi (김치) and atom (밥, bap) are ever present. The only people successful which location is thing typical dedicated to this vacation is dessert. Indeed, it features a cake pinch Christmas decorations, usually made of sweetener paste, and is simply called Christmas cake (크리스마스 케이크, keuriseumaseu keikeu).

As for nan Korean New Year, however, location is 1 crockery that tin ne'er beryllium missed connected Korean tables connected that day. It is tteokguk (떡국), a soup made of atom dumplings sliced into strips, shaped for illustration coins. Eating tteokguk is said to bring bully luck and wealthiness for nan caller twelvemonth and more: eating it besides makes you 1 twelvemonth older.

How to wish Merry Christmas successful Korea

Wishing Merry Christmas successful Korea is elemental because they usage nan English look Merry Christmas:

메리 크리스마스!
Meri keuriseumaseu!

However, if you want to return it further and already wish a happy New Year in Korean arsenic well, past you tin add:

새해 복 많이 받으세요!
Saehae bok manhi badeuseyo!
Happy New Year!!!

Literally it intends “receive overmuch happiness successful nan New Year.” This is nan astir general expression, but if you are much acquainted pinch nan personification to whom you are wishing, you tin past simply say:

새해 복 많이 받아!
Saehae bok manhi bada!
Happy New Year!!!

The astir important New Year successful Korea is really nan lunar New Year , called Seollal (설날), but this does not mean that nan star New Year (새해, saehae) is not besides celebrated. Typical New Year’s Eve ceremony activities are fireworks (불꽃, bulkkot), walking (여행하다, yeohaenghada) aliases attending exclusive parties (파티하다, patihada) during New Year’s Eve (연말, yeonmal).

We dream this article has been helpful, and for much information, travel nan Go! Go! Hanguk blog. Don’t hesitate to contact us for surviving and studying successful Korea.