Why Is Christmas Romantic in Korea? An Origin Story
Many Westerners are befuddled by the romantic association Koreans have with Christmas. Here is a brief history lesson that can provide some insight.
Christmas was declared a national holiday in Korea by President Syngman Rhee in 1949. Although the earliest account of a Christmas celebration in Korea dates back to an 1884 entry in American missionary Horace N. Allen’s journal, the holiday was not celebrated outside of a very small Christian community. The year Rhee, himself a Christian, declared Christmas an official holiday, only 3.7 percent of the population was Christian.
During the years of his authoritarian rule, Rhee imposed a strict midnight curfew in the country. The only night that was an exception was Christmas Eve. According to the book Big Brother Little Brother by Sang-Dawn Lee, Rhee was dismayed that non-Christians took advantage of the “free night more fully than Christians.” Young people poured into the streets. Hotels, beer halls and nightclubs were overwhelmed. Choi In-Hun, a famous novelist, wrote of the scene saying, “Christmas in this country is nothing but a pretext for the younger generation of both sexes to get together and romp.”
A Korean Christmas
Here are a few essentials for a truly Korean Christmas celebration.
Christmas Cake
Koreans enjoy buying these elaborately decorated cakes from bakery chains such as Paris Baguette and Tous Les Jours. They are usually sponge cakes and are a fairly new tradition that is unique to Korea.
Popular Christmas Movies
These three movies are popular among Koreans during the holiday season.
- Home Alone
- Music and Lyrics
- Love Actually
Popular Christmas Songs
These three songs get Koreans in the holiday spirit.
- “All I Want For Christmas Is You”by Mariah Carey
- “Last Christmas”by Wham!
- “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”