Teacher? What’s Christmas?! ...Welcome to Christmas in Korea! I’m exaggerating slightly but Christmas really isn’t a big deal here. Unlike back home where pretty much everyone (regardless of their religion) celebrates it, in Korea only Christians really do. Christianity is the second biggest religion here but it still only makes up about 25% of the population. A massive 70% of people are Buddists, and so because of this you won’t find as many festivities going on as you might do in certain western countries.
...The few decorations I found...
The local towns aren't really decorated and you’ll find it hard to spot a Christmas tree or even a bit of tinsel. However if you absolutely LOVE Christmas and can't live without it then have no fear, there are a few things that are worth checking out. If you’re an ESL teacher like myself, then you should experience some sort of Christmas, depending on your schools beliefs of course. At my school we had a small party, sang some Christmas songs and made some lovely little Christmas cards. We even had Santa stop by with a few presents to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. How lovely.
Outside of work on the streets of Seoul you’ll be able to find a few Christmas decorations dotted around the place, and there is even a couple of restaurant serving up a good old (Korean style) roast dinner! It’s not really the same but it’ll do. Lotte World apparently has a big Christmas parade too, and as the worlds largest indoor theme park you should expect great things - although the jury is still out on that one!
Myeongdong Shopping street
Be sure to also check out the huge outdoor ice skating rink at Seoul Grand Plaza. Book in advanced if you can though, as this does get extremely busy around this time of year. There are a few light festivals worth seeing around the city, including some along the Cheonggyecheon Stream, and I’ve also heard that there are some really nice Christmas Markets around the same area of Insadong.
Although its not a big deal in Korea, Christmas Day is still a public holiday and the people that do celebrate it exchange gifts (usually money) and eat traditional Christmas cakes much like people in the west. However, their idea of a Christmas cake is basically a sponge or ice cream cake bought from the local Baskin and Robbins. Nice.
Christmas Eve CAKE!
It has felt a bit strange to not have as many things going on around me this year, and of course not being surrounded by my friends and family. I've missed things that I didn't think I would really miss - like the annual Christmas work party and the dramas that follow it. It feels very un-Christmassy without the dramas, but it has been great to experience a different type of Christmas in a different country, and I am very happy to be a part of it.
This year I will be spending Christmas day itself...on a plane! Yes that's right folks, tomorrow I will be flying out to spend the holidays in the wonderful land of Australia! Whoop! It will be as hot as the sun and after the last few weeks of freezing cold weather I honestly can not wait! I will be stopping off for a few hours in China too, so technically I’ll be in Korea and China on Christmas Day, and then Australia there after, so i’ll let you know how that one pans out!
For now though I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, enjoy it wherever you may be in the world and remember, dogs aren't just for Christmas - they eat them all year round here!
Until 2016...
No comments:
Post a Comment