Christmas in Korea: What Is It Like?

Curious about what Christmas in Korea is like? You might be wondering about things like, “How do you say Merry Christmas in Korean?”

In this holiday season, the year is already coming to a close, which means it’s time for fun, family, and reflection. In just a couple of weeks, billions of people worldwide will be celebrating the most widely celebrated holiday in the world, Christmas – and Korea is no different!

Read on for more information on what Christmas time means in South Korea – there are more intriguing differences than you think!

Do Koreans celebrate Christmas?

Yes, Christmas is considered a national holiday in Korea, which means that most employees have a day off from work and celebrate with family and friends.

How is Christmas celebrated in South Korea?

Koreans usually celebrate Christmas with a date or friends to go out for a meal or go shopping.

What is Christmas in Korea like?

Christmas in South Korea is very different from Christmas in North America or Europe. There are some superficial similarities, such as Christmas decorations in shop windows and beautiful Korean Christmas ornaments adorning store walls, but look beyond that, and the differences become very apparent.

Christmas isn’t one of Korea’s big traditional holidays like Seollal or Chuseok, so there isn’t a mad rush of everybody trying to make it back to their hometown for Christmas. While most Koreans have the day off, it’s less of a big production than in many Western countries. It’s not the biggest holiday of the year, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an excuse to take the day off and relax!

Is Christmas in Korea More Like Valentine’s Day?

Yes, Christmas in Korea is celebrated similarly to Valentine’s Day. It is also often referred to as “Valentines with Santa” because it’s more of a couples’ day. Instead of a family festival, it’s seen as a private date for couples to cherish winter and the Yule tradition.

Is Christmas a Religious Festival in Korea?

Christmas in South Korea is similar to the universal Christmas festival, but Koreans don’t primarily celebrate it as a religious festival.

However, unlike many Asian countries, there is a large proportion of South Korean Christians, which explains why the day is a national holiday. It also means that there are special Christmas services in churches around the country for people who would like to celebrate the religious aspect of the holiday.

Do People Exchange Presents on Christmas in Korea?

Receiving Korean Christmas gifts is not as prevalent as in Western countries. Some couples or close friends exchange gifts, but it is rare. It’s more common to go out for a meal or go on a date.

Is Gift Giving on Christmas Important in Korea?

Gift-giving does occur, but on a smaller scale. Typically, giving and receiving gifts on Christmas is not as common as in the West.

Do Koreans Celebrate Christmas with Christmas Trees?

Setting up Christmas trees in Korea varies depending on the individual or family. Some put up Christmas trees, while others don’t. Malls may also have large Christmas trees both inside and outside​​.

How Cold Is Christmas in Korea?

On average, temperatures on Christmas Day in Korea are between 3°C at the highest and -7°C the lowest.

Snow on Christmas is rare in Korea. It has occurred in some years, but it doesn’t happen regularly.

Korean Christmas Traditions

There are some cultural differences from what you may be used to. Rather than being a family holiday like Seollal or Chuseok, Christmas in South Korea is more of a couple-orientated holiday, just like Valentine’s Day.

Christmas Food in Korea

If you ask most people, the best part about Christmas is the food you indulge in on Christmas day. Traditional Christmas food (turkey, stuffing, eggnog, etc.), which is not usually found in Korean cuisine, is challenging to find at Christmas. For example, you won’t see eggnog at corner markets as you will in some Western countries at this time of year!

Apart from missing their family, food is probably the main thing about Christmas that foreigners living in the country miss. It doesn’t feel like Christmas without the traditional Christmas meal they’ve become accustomed to for many people. If you are craving such foods, your best bet is to find a bar/restaurant (usually in Itaewon) with a special Christmas lunch.

Alternatively, try visiting the website of your home country’s embassy, chamber of commerce, expat’s club, etc., and see if they have any special Christmas events arranged. You’re not alone in your search for a traditional Western Christmas meal, and you may be surprised at what you find!

If you are looking for food to eat at home, then it may be possible to get a small turkey from Costco (yes, they have Costco in Korea!). Remember that you may need to book in advance, as they have been known to sell out for holidays. Smaller items are often available in the food sections of large department stores like Shinsegae (the more expensive the department store, the more likely they are to stock Christmassy foods).

Rather than trying to recreate your homeland’s Christmas experience, try enjoying the differences that come from living in a different country. There’s so much about Korean winter food to appreciate that it’s not hard to do!

Korean Christmas Food

Although Korea doesn’t have the same Christmas foods as other countries, it does have its special delicacies and foods that most Koreans celebrating Christmas truly enjoy. These include Korean BBQ, Jjolmyeon (쫄면), and other delicious foods popular winter foods. During Christmas, it’s not uncommon for couples to usually end their meals with a beautifully decorated Christmas cake.

Korean Christmas Decorations

If you’re used to seeing Santa Claus, or Christmas lights left and right through December, you’re in for a different Christmas experience this year in Korea!

Even though tinsel, Christmas lights, and plastic Christmas trees are cheaply available in Korea (find your local Daiso if you want to buy any of these things), it is not that common for people to decorate their own houses during Christmas.

However, shops and cafés are often decorated. Shopping districts like Myeongdong, Dongdaemun, and Gangnam are full of Christmas lights and decorations. Shopping malls in these areas often have large Christmas trees covered with shiny ornaments. Like the rest of the lights in these districts, the Christmas decorations look ultra-modern.

There’s nothing quite like shopping in December and being surrounded by holiday decorations building up the anticipation for Christmas, so it’s no wonder that Korean shop owners see the value in decorating. Also, rather than carols, the latest Christmas pop songs or Korean Christmas songs will be blaring out onto the streets.

Christmas Songs and Music

If you’re typically a fan of Christmas music, you’re in for a treat – rather than traditional Christmas music like “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas,” you’ll be hearing special Christmas songs that K-pop groups come out with around this time of year.

The motif of these songs will focus more on the love aspect of the holiday and less on Christmas itself, but the songs are still a fun way to get in the holiday spirit (and really, who doesn’t love an excuse to listen to K-pop?).

Christmas Activities in Korea

A lot of the activities that people do during Christmas are more couple-oriented, like having meal dates, snuggling up to Korean Christmas movies, or having a fun time at the park with their significant other.

Where to Go for Christmas in Seoul?

There are several events in Seoul, such as Myeongdong Cathedral Christmas Lights, Lotte World Adventure – Miracle Winter. You can also see the Christmas tree and ice skating at Seoul Plaza. The large Christmas tree on the basement floor of COEX inside the Starfield Library is also famous.

What to Do in Seoul on Christmas Day?

Since Christmas in Korea is often seen as a romantic holiday, people might engage in romantic activities like visiting amusement parks (Everland, Lotte World), enjoying a staycation in Seoul, or having a romantic dinner​​.

Visit Amusement Parks

Since Christmas is a public holiday, certain places get very crowded on Christmas day. Places that feel more “Christmassy’ tend to be packed with people who are trying to find that elusive Christmas spirit that they’ve become used to over time.Lotteworld Amusement Park, with its special Christmas-themed events, is one such place. Myeongdong is also very busy as it is seen as a place to have a date on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. As Christmas is a “Western” holiday, many of the more international parts of Seoul, such as Itaewon, are also especially busy at Christmas.

Go Ice Skating and Sledding

There are dozens of outdoor ice skating rinks around at this time of year. They get swamped indeed, with queues for the ice rink at City Hall being several hours long at times. If you don’t feel like waiting in line in the cold, another popular option is to stay snuggled up at home by the fire with your significant other – it doesn’t get much more romantic than that!

For those with young children, there are also several temporary sledding slopes around the city. If you’re in Korea this winter with your family, be sure to take the children sledding  — the slopes get pretty big in many places in Korea, so sledding is fun and a little intense! Korea is a mountainous country and has many ski resorts, too, if you’re interested in skiing or snowboarding while you’re here.

For anybody wanting to guarantee a white Christmas, these could be the places to go. Keep in mind they will no doubt be swamped, so make sure you book in advance. Several resorts are close enough to Seoul for people to go there for a day trip. Many resorts also have ski runs that are open during the night.

Go to Parties

If you’d like to get in the Christmas spirit and have a little bit of a hard time doing so, consider being super festive and setting up a caroling party with your friends on Christmas Eve.

Caroling is common throughout the holiday season in Korea, and if you’re far from home and missing the traditions you’re used to, there’s nothing quite like spreading Christmas cheer through song. Carolers typically go door to door in residential neighborhoods and sign to families to get them in the holiday spirit, and a good singing voice is not required!

Christmas Shopping

Although people in Korea don’t usually give presents to their friends and family, they give presents to their significant other. Like much of the world, Christmas is a heavily commercialized holiday, and there are plenty of Christmas sales and Christmas-themed advertisements at this time of the year.

If you don’t have a date for Christmas or want to avoid the cold and the crowds, there are plenty of Christmas-themed programs and Christmas movies on television over the Christmas period that you can watch beside your fire.

Suppose you’re shopping for your significant other this Christmas. In that case, you may be surprised at how early holiday shopping specials begin to pop up – large department stores start featuring holiday discounts as early as mid-November to encourage the early birds to start shopping. At some department stores, you’re even entered into contests while shopping – each purchase you make could make you eligible to win a variety of prizes.

That way, you can shop for the people you love AND get something for yourself in return. Winning! These deals are also frequently available on websites if online shopping is more your style or if you’re trying to avoid the cold this year.

Korean Christmas Cards

If you want to spread love to your friends and family this Christmas in Korea, a great way to do that is by sending Christmas cards. Christmas cards are easy to find in Korea, and they’re also typically less expensive than the cards you’ll find in places like the United States.

Most Korean Christmas cards are nature-oriented and focus on snow, trees, or other peaceful artwork that appeals to a broad audience. Pick up some Korean Christmas cards this winter and show your loved ones how you feel without breaking the bank. They’ll be happy to know that you’re thinking of them! Who knows, maybe you’ll get some in return as well.

Fairs and Markets

There are some Christmas markets around Korea, although they are a lot smaller than those in Europe. The pedestrian area of Shinchon, in front of Yonsei University, often has a small Christmas fair where it may be possible to find some mince pies, eggnog, or roasted chestnuts to keep you warm this winter.

There is also often some fair in the Seongbuk area of Seoul (home to many foreign embassies) during December. The exact dates and locations of such events change from year to year, but there is usually something special on, so keep your eyes peeled so that you don’t miss out. These fairs are traditionally home to fantastic food and fun activities, and they are an excellent time for the whole family.

Summary

Christmas in Korea is different from Christmas anywhere else in the world, so rather than trying to recreate the Christmas of your homeland, embrace the differences and enjoy a unique Korean Christmas! Also, be sure to remember that although the traditions that are celebrated this time of year in Korea may be different from the ones you’re used to, the emotion and the reason behind these traditions are familiar.

What do you plan on doing this Christmas? Be sure to let us know in the comments below – ’tis the season, and we’re always open to new or exciting ideas!

Merry Christmas!

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