Merry Christmas everyone! This was a quiet holiday in the South Korean edition of the Newton household. A friend and I made Christmas brunch and exchanged stocking stuffed with gifts. I got two amazing new scarves (one from the mother of a student, whom I love to death). I also went out for Mexican food at night, complete with some margaritas, and then we finished off the night at the local watering hole, reminiscing about Christmas, embarrassing moments, and general thoughts on life.
Christmas is a strange time for expats, to say the least. In Korea in particular, we have some difficulty getting into the holiday spirit. For whatever reason, all the foreigners I know can generally agree on this fact; there is just something about being in this country that makes us feel like today is just another day rather than the holiday we treat it as in America. Personally, I have a new theory as to why that is.
Christmas in Korea is very much like Christmas in Japan. Instead of being a holiday centered around family activity and togetherness, most families in Korea celebrate today by buying a cake and going out with their significant others. Children will get toys, of course, but the idea of Santa is not widely accepted, and even among my preschool students (who are 3-5 years old), the idea that there is one many responsible for bringing toys to all children is laughable. The main difference (from what I've seen, of course) is in the religious aspects of the cultures. In Korea, a larger percent of the population is Christian, so many people will go to church in the evening as well. All of the restaurants, shops, and many places of business are still open, and there are still many people out and about on the streets shopping and carrying on like today is any normal day of the year.
The holidays are difficult for foreigners for many reasons. In a completely different land, surrounded by strangers, missing from the usual celebrations of our families and friends, its very easy to feel lost or depressed during this time, but I think there is something else going on here. There are many differences between a Korean Christmas and an American Christmas, but what I think makes it feel even more pronounced is the lack of consumerist culture that we have come to associate with the holiday season in the states. As annoying as we sometimes find it, businesses start using Christmas music in early November, sometimes sooner, to catch our attention. Stores have special Christmas-themed sales with special decorations and jingles, and we start seeing Christmas memorabilia earlier and earlier every year. In Korea, however, these things are limited, if seen at all. There are special winter-themed advertisements, sure, but nothing specifically geared towards Christmas or the holidays. There are no familiar songs to be heard on the radio, no giant posters spouting messages of holiday cheer. We can do our best to keep up with the decorations and other familiarities, but without the constant reminder of the merchant shops, it can be difficult to keep in mind exactly what day it is.
Of course, the thing that helps more than anything else is the love and support of our families. We love getting cards and packages from home. No matter how small, it is absolutely uplifting to see the look on someone's face when they realize that someone from home has remembered them, and it doesn't matter if it is a box stuffed full of holiday goodies or even a card from their grandparents. It all makes it feel just a little more like the holiday season, but moreover, it makes us feel like we are important--even though we are so far away from home, someone misses us enough to let us know that we are loved.
So a giant thank you to all those who sent holiday love to an expat this year. We certainly couldn't do anything without your love and support, and even though some (read: most) of us are terrible about remembering to send something in return, we are always more than happy to call and let you know.
Merry Christmas from South Korea everyone!
P.S. I wasn't kidding about the kimchi.
