Episode transcript
한국인이 쓰는 진짜 표현 Korean Slang School 현주입니다. Welcome back to Korean Slang School! In this episode, you can listen to cultural insights in English with Korean expressions. It is recommended for beginners. You can find the full Korean version in the previous episode.
안녕하세요! I’m recording this episode on December 3. 12월 3일입니다. I can’t believe it’s already December… The year is almost over, and time really flies, 시간이 진짜 빨라요. Every year when December comes around, I start to feel a little busy, 바빠요, probably because of Christmas.
Here in the Czech Republic, where I live, Christmas is a huge event. Christmas markets open everywhere, and department stores are filled with gifts, cakes, and ornaments. I always spend December trying to figure out what presents I should buy. How about you? How do you spend your December?
When I lived in Korea, I didn’t really celebrate Christmas in a special way because it’s not considered 명절, a traditional family holiday. In Korea, “명절” usually means a celebration that has been passed down for generations. The two biggest 명절 are 설날 and 추석.
설날 falls on January 1 of the lunar calendar. In Korea, people get three days off: 설날 Eve, the day of 설날, and the day after. Families gather, spend time together, and eat traditional foods like 떡국, which is a rice cake soup. There’s even a fun cultural joke related to 떡국. Since people eat 떡국 on 설날 every year, instead of asking 몇 살이에요? “How old are you?” some might jokingly ask 떡국 몇 그릇 먹었어요? “How many bowls of tteokguk did you eat?” When I was young, I once asked my grandmother for another bowl because I was still hungry. She said, “If you eat more, you’ll get another year older!” I still remember that funny moment.
추석 is another major 명절, falling on the 15th day of the eighth month on the lunar calendar. It’s a time when people celebrate the crops and fruits harvested in autumn. Just like 설날, people get three days off to visit family, see relatives, and enjoy delicious holiday foods.
설날 and 추석 are holidays meant for family gatherings. Christmas in Korea is quite different. People usually don’t spend it with their families. Instead, it’s a day for hanging out with friends or going on dates with a partner. There’s even a funny word for spending Christmas alone: “솔크,” short for “Solo Christmas.” People say things like 올해도 솔크… “It’s gonna be Solo Christmas this year…” Or 올해는 솔로 탈출! “This year, I’m escaping Solo Christmas!” This means they finally have a boyfriend or girlfriend to spend the holiday with.
But why do Koreans associate Christmas with dating?
Christmas became a public holiday in 1949. At that time, President 이승만 was Christian, and Korea was also influenced by the U.S., so the date was officially made a holiday. From 1945 to 1982, Korea had a curfew, meaning people weren’t allowed outside at night. Curfews existed long before, even in the Joseon Dynasty, but they disappeared for a while and then returned after Korea was liberated from Japan in 1945. After liberation, the Soviet Union controlled the north and the U.S. controlled the south. The U.S. military government imposed a curfew in the South, claiming it was for public safety. That curfew continued through the Korean War and lasted all the way until 1982. Usually, people couldn’t be outside after 8 p.m. or 10 p.m., and if they were caught, they had to pay a fine.
However, there were a few special days each year when the curfew was lifted, and Christmas was one of them. It was one of the rare nights when people could stay out late. Friends could hang out longer, and couples could finally enjoy a late-night date. Because of that, Christmas gradually became a romantic holiday in Korea.
Even though there’s no curfew anymore, the dating culture around Christmas remains. Couples usually go out to eat, buy a cake and light candles, go to the movies, or watch musicals.
A survey once asked 1,465 Koreans in their 20s which anniversaries were most important. The most important was the first anniversary, and Christmas came second. Third was the 100-day anniversary 백일, a uniquely Korean milestone celebrating the 100th day of dating. I think it’s such a cute tradition.
So today, we talked about how Christmas is celebrated in Korea. Christmas is coming soon. How will you spend it? Will you enjoy food with your family? Or will you have a “Solo Christmas” this year? As for me, I love staying home and watching the entire Harry Potter series or the movie Home Alone. Wherever you are and however you spend your Christmas, I hope you have a wonderful holiday. Merry Christmas!
See you next time with more fun Korean stories. 한국인이 쓰는 진짜 표현 Korean Slang School 현주였습니다. 안녕
