Christmas in Korea

As Christmas is fast approaching it’s starting to dawn on everyone here in Korea that, for a lot of us, this will be our first Christmas away from home. I have lived away from home for many years but I’ve never missed a Christmas so I will be doing as much as possible to distract myself this month.

So I have decided to make the most of this time and make a list of things to do for our first Korean Christmas:

. Have hot coco with friends

. Watch a movie in a big group.

. See down-town decorated

. Cook a stew

. Make eggnog

. Make fudge

. Sing carols somewhere

. Watch a movie in a DVD bang

. Show Carly (my lovely misguided friend) ‘The Muppet’s Christmas Carol’

. Make decorations with my class

. Show my class lots of Christmas films

. Watch as many Christmas films as possible

. Have an ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ night

. Make some form of Christmas tree

. Do Secret Santa

. Ski for the first time

. Have a proper Christmas dinner

. Make Christmas cards

. Buy fairy lights

. Skype my family in school and on Christmas day

. Skype my family while they decorate the tree

. Finish Korean Christmas shopping

. Make an advent calendar for school and home

. Drink Baileys

. Make crackers

. Pack for home

. Buy Christmas PJ’s

. Leave cookies and milk for Santa

carrot for the reindeer & chery for Santa

. Buy one bottle of Asti

. Make a mini chocolate table (family tradition)

. DRINK A RED CUPPED EGGNOG LATTE (this one is very important to me as I didn’t know they had the red cups or eggnog latte’s in Korea and its become a tradition that makes me feel its really Christmas)

*EDIT : I was lied to!!! They have red cups and they have all the other variations apart from eggnog...I am very sad :( the second I get off the plane...I'm getting like 3 *

. Most importantly have fun and on the 28th of December…run to that airport and get home 
EDIT * Unfortunatly my school changed the last day of term so I'm not allowed to go home for New Year but on the 1st I can fly home*

 

The films we will be watching will be as follows:

Muppets Christmas Carol

It’s a Wonderful Life

The Santa Claus Movie
Miracle on 34th street (old & new)

The Santa Clause

The Christmas Toy

Scrooged

Love actually
Jingle all the way

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Gremlins

Trains, Planes and Automobiles

The Grinch

The Family Man

Home Alone

Home Alone 2

ELF

The Nightmare before Christmas

Rise of the Guardians

Christmas Story (I’ve never seen this but hear its good)

I will also be listening to an excessive amount of Nat King Cole (aka the voice of Christmas)

One of my favorite recent Christmas memories was driving home for Christmas. We listened to Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald (as well as some Wham and Mariah) for a solid 4 hours. We stopped in the cold icy fog to get red cupped starbucks and Krispy Kremes and at the end of the trip we ended up at home where the decorations were hung and my family were waiting. I love Christmas, not for the presents, I think I grew out of the gifts for myself when I was about 14 but I love spoiling other people. I love giving them something that makes them smile. I do go a little over board sometimes but it’s worth it! Oh in fact as I’ve wrote that sentence I’ve just thought of the perfect gift for people at home!

I love the food, the lights and most of all the atmosphere. It really is magical. People smile more and hug more. It’s probably the only time of year you’re allowed to be romantic at every moment of the day.

I have been told I’m not allowed to go into full Christmas mode until the 25th of Nov since then it will be a month till Christmas which is fair enough. This Christmas will be very different from what I’m use to but I am actually a little excited for it. I am excited to spend time with my little Korean family especially since sadly so many of them will be leaving in February.

Bring on November 25th!!!!