Christmas in Korea

Mrs. Claus (Heidi)

So in my 29 years of life, I've never spent Christmas apart from my family. It just hasn't happened. So being on the other side of the world, was a bit of a horse of a different color. And although I missed my friends and family more than anything, I actually quite enjoyed myself...just having an experience in a country 6000 miles away from my own. It didn't exactly feel like Christmas, but what can you do?
I've learned from talking with Koreans that Christmas is treated as more of a friends and couples holiday than it is a family holiday. It's interesting to me because this country has a fairly large Christian population (about 30%) and usually Jesus' birthday, or Christmas, is basically the most important day in the life of a Christian, next to Easter. Anyway...
So most Koreans go out for dinner and then out for drinks on Christmas Eve. A similar schedule of events is followed on Christmas day.
I did have school on Christmas Eve, so we had a Christmas party with our kindergarten students. Santa (aka my co-teacher Matt) even came to the school. He kind of reminded me of that scary Santa from 'A Christmas Story.' Yikes.
And like I've said previously, it seems that everything here is done slightly differently that what I'm used to....i.e....we started our Christmas party by making Christmas cakes--what happened to cookies?!

Lily, Dylan, and Emily making their Christmas cake...

Ryan & Emily

Helping with the frosting-breaking-the-cake situation

Post making 'Christmas cake,' students could play in the playroom or watch a movie while lunch was prepared. Lunch was a funny thing. You should've seen the spreads these kids had. Their classrooms were filled with homemade delicious Korean dishes that their mommies prepared, pizza, fried chicken, you know...traditional Christmas delicacies...

Lavender class with their kimbap, pizza, fried chicken, fruit, etc.

Rosemary class with their spread--homemade tokkpokki, fried chicken, rice balls, fruit, cookies...oh and check out their Rudolph noses

After eating, it was time for Santa. Why Santa...you look so jolly, I don't think you scared the kids at all...

Santa/Matt Teacher and Rosemary students

Matthew is so proud

Denny, have you done ANYTHING good this year???

My Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day celebration:

Harry and Mikyong for Korean BBQ on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve dinner

On Christmas Day, I threw a brunch get together at my mini apartment. I made banana chocolate chip pancakes from scratch...we had sangria, mimosas, Irish coffees; people brought chocolate cake, hashbrowns, champagne, more cake--everyone in Korea always brings a cake...I'm SO OVER CAKE....

My delicious pancakes

Josh Teacher cooking some sort of bacon meat...

Friends stayed over well into the evening. We listened to Christmas music, overindulged in food & drink, played scrabble, card games, etc. I would say that although different and lacking some very important people, Christmas in Korea was pretty ok!