Experiencing the holidays in South Korea
In early November 2002, I left my small town in Pennsylvania with my newly-acquired college degree and traveled to South Korea to teach English as a foreign language in Je-Ju City on Je-Ju island for a one-year contract. Though the entire experience was moment-to-moment culture shock, some of the most memorable moments surrounded celebrating and observing the holidays.
The first holiday I spent in the Land of the Morning Calm was Thanksgiving, a holiday not observed by the natives. I taught kindergarten through sixth grade children, so each class got to make either a pilgrim or Native American hat. Because kindergarten was all-day, I also brought in Thanksgiving meal fixins, or at least what I could find that closely resembled the food items. Turkey is considered an exotic bird, so it was not something I could buy in the grocery store. As a substitute, I purchased a small prepared chicken that I could heat up. I also got the necessary ingredients to make mashed potatoes and taught my kids how to make them from scratch, using a large whisk to mash as we mixed them together. I remember the kids pinched their noses as they mashed the potatoes, not used to the combination of aromas that emanated from the dish. I don’t remember the meal being a hit and the kids were still given the choice to eat Korean food, but it was still a teachable and unforgettable moment.
Before we knew it, Christmas rolled in. Christmas in Korea is very commercialized, even more-so than in the states. Santa, gifts, the Christmas tree and secular Christmas music was all Koreans knew of the holiday at that time. Our school had off on the actual day, however the day before myself and my other Western coworker (Canadian, to be exact) dressed up as Santa and each kindergartener told Santa what he or she wanted for Christmas. On Christmas Day, I gathered with some other foreign teachers at a local bar, owned and operated by an American, and we enjoyed a potluck, Westerinized Christmas meal.
New Year’s Eve and Day were uneventful in school, however I got to observe January 1st in the emergency room, after having soberly fallen down a flight of stairs going down into an internet cafe, during the early morning hours.
The next holiday was one of Korean significance–Lunar New Year. We had the Friday before off, so I flew to Dae-Gu to visit a college friend who was teaching in that city. We joined his school director and family for the holiday feast, where we ate Korean staples of kimchee and rice as well as tteokguk–a traditional soup made with sliced rice cakes, beef, egg, vegetables and other ingredients. In Korea, eating tteokguk on Lunar New Year is believed to add a year to your life.
February, March and April 14 are all romance-related holidays in Korea. Valentine’s Day is typically when women give chocolate to men and White Day–March 14–men buy candy for women. On Black Day, April 14, singles eat Jjajangmyun–a Korean noodle dish made with black bean paste–to ensure they will not be single the next year.
Other holidays I enjoyed while across the sea included Saint Patrick’s Day, Budda’s Birthday and Easter, both in school and with friends. I also celebrated the United States’ Memorial and Independence Days on my own. I never got to experience Liberation Day in August, Chuseok in September, National Foundation or Hangeul Days in October, as my contract was cut short in July. Regardless of what holidays I observed, my days in Korea were some of the best and most memorable of my life.