Korean Christmas

Welcome to Christmas in Korea (the picture is my actual tree). You want to find the decorations you normally use for this special holiday, good luck. In Canada, we have aisles dedicated to Christmas. We dress our stores up and deck out our homes, yet here it is treated like a mediocre holiday. Now I’m not saying Christmas is all about the decorations, Christmas trees, or presents, but those things definitely help to warm people’s hearts for the usual cold winters we have in Canada and surprisingly chilly winter here in Korea.

Growing up in Canada I was used to having all the festivities, the bright lights, greens, reds, and whites, but here I was caught off guard when Christmas was two weeks away and I hadn’t noticed. My favorite time of the year and I had let it slip my mind. Usually in Canada once Halloween is over Christmas takes over. You can’t miss it, even if you wanted to, but here you could blink and it would sneak up on you. When had I realized how close it was and I had done nothing to decorate or purchase a few gifts for my new family I felt the sting of missing home and my family traditions of decorating an over six-foot fake tree to perfection. The tradition of wrapping gifts and putting them under the tree a few days before Christmas to let anticipation and excitement build. Go to church for a Christmas Eve, with my family. Listen to the almost annoying Christian Christmas music that would blast over JoyFM starting November first. Watching the snowfall that everyone loves, until December twenty-sixth and then they are ready for it be gone.

It wasn’t until I went in search of a tree, one within my price range, that I truly missed my culture and family Christmas. The first tree I bought was pathetically small, maybe eight inches. I was with my boyfriend and his mother at the time and as we drove home I cried. It was not as I had expected. I knew Christmas wouldn’t be as bright as in Canada, but I never thought that it would act like a secret and hide from me with only hints that it was coming. I wasn’t prepared for my favorite season to a whisper here instead of a whole marching band, like in Canada. My new family was concerned over my sadness, of course, who wouldn’t be. I explained with somewhat of a laugh that I just wanted to decorate a tree. I wanted to have a little Canada Christmas in Korea.

I know what all you Christians out there are thinking, “Remember the reason for the season.” Trust me I do, but Christmas is not only Christ’s birthday for me, it also means family. It is one of the only times of the year that most of my extended family comes together to catch up, have a good time, and eat until we are round. I am usually a happy person, or at least I so, but when Christmas starts to pop-up around town, I become so cheerful I’m sure it is nauseating for some. Let’s just say Christmas means warmth, celebrations for earthly and heavenly things to me, it means that everyone is a little warmer on the inside.

Christmas, in reality, is not the exact date of Jesus’ birth, but that’s not the point. It doesn’t matter if it is the correct day, what does matter is that we are celebrating His birthday in a grand celebration. We give gifts not because God instructed us to do so, but because of a man named St. Nicolas took it upon himself to create and deliver gifts to children around his area in a time when people didn’t have much. He wanted to spread a little joy and what better time than the day designated as Jesus’ birthday? So, be shocked, or not, but Santa Claws did exist at one point, yes St. Nicolas gained that as a nickname. He was a great Christian man with a heart for people. We have all continued this tradition, with a little more flare. He gave one or two small gifts, but we hand out gifts spending thousands of dollars.

Now that you have had a little glimpse of the history of Christmas, I want to say that no matter where you come from your traditions are a part of you. You could travel halfway across the world believing that you won’t miss a thing about your own country other than family, but you will miss the culture when you come into the different seasons that have meaning to your family. You will feel lonely, but if you are where God wants you to be He will also lessen your loneliness, but only if you allow Him to do so.

My Christmas may have been quieter than usual, but it was just as joyous and excitement building as usual. God provided so much for me in a time when I have every right to be angry and filled with sadness because he was the one who took me from everything I knew. Yet instead of anger and sadness, I am filled with joy, love, and readily leaning on Him for where ever and whatever He has planned next for me knowing that He has a plan. A plan that will fill my heart where Canada left a whole.