How is Christmas Celebrated in South Korea?
Christmas in South Korea…does it exist? Yes, it does! But only since the early 2000s has the festive holiday been celebrated in Korea. “성탄절” (seongtanjeol) is the official word for Christmas in Korean, but it’s not widely used. Instead, Koreans use the English word “크리스마스” (keuriseumaseu), or “메리 크리스마스” (meri keuriseumaseu) to say “Merry Christmas!” However, this saying is only used with close family and friends. “행복한 크리스마스 되십시오” (haengbokhan keuriseumaseu doesipsio) is the formal way of saying “Merry Christmas,” literally meaning, “Have a happy Christmas!” Now that the formalities are over, let’s learn more about Christmas in Korea!
Who Celebrates Christmas?
Image: Susung Kim (Flickr)
Christmas in South Korea is not celebrated to the extent it is in the West. Children nowadays are raised to celebrate the holiday, but before the early 2000s, the concept of “Christmas” didn't exist. The holiday is for families and foreigners to Korea, but that doesn’t mean teenagers and those living alone don’t join in. Teenagers spend time with their friends and take photos for social media of the lights, or have a delicious meal in a cozy restaurant or café. Meanwhile, others might watch a classic Christmas film on TV that plays every year. For example, Home Alone is played so often in South Korea during the holidays that teenagers make memes of it.
What about Korean Christmas films? There aren’t many holiday-themed films or series in Korea, but the ones that exist are popular, such as Christmas in August, The Tower, and The Classic. From the titles, you can pretty much tell they’re not that Christmassy, and it’s difficult to find where to watch them unless you buy a DVD. So, if you are alone or without children, you most likely won’t celebrate Christmas. However, whether you have a family or not, don’t let anything deter you as there are still plenty of Christmas events around you and people who will accept you with open arms!
Presents
Image: Yvette Fang (Pixabay)
Everyone enjoys receiving presents. You know, shaking the box and guessing what it could be before opening it to reveal a pair of very-much-needed socks. Children will likely wake their parents around 7:00 a.m., jumping on their bed, excited for their gifts, but isn’t that any child on Christmas morning? The difference is that families don’t stay at home during Christmas, despite it being a national holiday where most get the day off.
After getting ready for the day, the presents are opened, but what do you get? Children receive toys and clothes, but if you’re a teenager or adult, either clothes or nothing at all. There is less gift-giving in Korea where people don’t get as many presents as Western families would give, but more thought goes into the gifts. While mostly children get presents, friends and coworkers may—rarely—do a Secret Santa. When children grow older, they also might give their parents a gift in return for all they’ve done for them, such as a tie or a fancy meal at a classy restaurant.
Festive Treats
Image: Yuri Hwang (Pixabay)
You may be questioning why Koreans don’t have Christmas dinner. It’s not because they don’t want to cook, but because Christmas dinner is a Western tradition and food like this doesn’t exist in South Korea unless you go to a foreign restaurant. So, in the case of food and drink, breakfast, lunch, and dinner will all occur at the usual time. Restaurants will remain open as it’s a busy day for them, though they most likely won’t have any special meals or offers on the table unless you’re staying at an upscale hotel. Also, adults drink a lot more soju and rice wine during Christmas.
While local supermarkets and restaurants may not sell special festive treats, food markets will make an effort to be more Christmassy to get more sales from young people, families, and foreigners. Also, baking is a Western tradition, but recently, some families will bake cookies or design gingerbread houses together. Simultaneously, local bakeries, name brand cafés (such as Starbucks), and foreign or big supermarkets will sell special Christmas treats, food, and drinks, depending on where you live or visit in Korea. For example, Christmas is celebrated in Itaewon and other famous parts of Seoul, as that’s where many foreigners and idols live.
Decorations
Image: Mark D (Flicker)
In December, families will decorate their living room with an array of Christmas decorations, such as a fake Christmas tree dressed in baubles with a star or angel on top. They might go the extra mile and put tinsel around their photos and lights around the tree or somewhere else indoors, but usually they just have a tree. Most people live in small apartments where they can’t decorate the outside of their house, so more expensive apartments might have a big Christmas tree indoors. If you live alone or don’t have children, you likely won’t decorate your house over the holiday.
However, nowadays, it’s difficult to escape Christmas once you’ve stepped into the city. Stores play classic Christmas music and will sell winter albums from the West and from idols. They’ll be decorated with all the usual Christmas decor, and hospitals, schools, and other public places such as famous landmarks will take part, too. Stalls outside might decorate their booth, and in the city, there will be a big Christmas tree with lights, but it might be completely fabricated by special effects. You can buy decorations from big supermarkets for the cheapest option, but also from local or smaller stores, such as Daiso.
Events
Image: Travel Oriented (Flicker)
Depending on where you live or visit, amusement parks and famous landmarks will have special events, especially for children and foreigners. If you’re based in a place full of culture, such as Itaewon or Myeongdong in Seoul, you will find yourself surrounded by stalls and markets, and places like Lotte World, Everland, Namsan Tower, and Seoul Land will throw festivals, leading you to a whole new Christmassy universe. There will also be Christmas parties and regular Christmas shopping for teenagers and young adults, despite a lack of deals over the holidays that exist in the West.
You can also attend craft fairs indoors, such as making cards and pottery. Fairs and markets are not common in South Korea, but they have been popping up recently, including festivals before the pandemic. Popular traditions we have in the West, such as ice skating, skiing, and sledding (in specific areas), are also very popular throughout South Korea. Ski resorts are generally open all-year-round in Korea, whereas ice skating and sledding are specifically winter activities.
Idols
Image: Stray Kids (Twitter)
Idols celebrate Christmas for their own fun, but primarily for their fanbase, especially foreigners. Every year, popular groups release Christmas music, such as new songs with music videos, remakes of older hits, and even winter albums. They’ll also release personal videos on YouTube and other popular social media and streaming sites. For example, live streams, interviews, a Secret Santa, and if fans are lucky, concerts. Not many agencies get involved with Christmas as it’s still a new concept in South Korea, but SM Entertainment specifically always gets involved with trends, such as ”Winter Night with 7DREAM.“
While we wait for SM Town’s 2022 winter song and NCT Dream’s Candy winter album, check out our Top 5 Christmas tracks released in 2022:
And 2021’s honorary mention: Stray Kids “Christmas EveL”
Edited by Erin Rupprecht