Korea does not have a history as the USA and other western countries with Christian roots. The 5000 year plus roots of Korea go deep back into the Chinese culture so that Confucianism, Mahayana style Buddhism as wall as Korean Shamanism (animism) have shaped the culture and life of the Koreans for centuries. However, over 200 years ago Catholic priests introduced Christianity to Korea for the first time. Then Protestant Christianity came to Korea just a little over 100 years ago. Modern Korea has many things to credit Christianity for bringing into this country: colleges and universities; western medicine; recognition of women as people of worth; but especially the Good News that Christ changes a person from the inside out.

South Korea is now about 30 percent Christian even though the official religion of the country is Buddhism. South Korea is also a country with modern industry, communications and transportation– side benfits to what happened with the introduction of Christianity. What this means is that modern Korea still looks on sunday as only the 1st day of the week–business as usual for most. Commercialism has taken on a significant meaning to South Koreans. However, even though we see Christmas decorations in more and more stores, because Christmas is distinctly a “Christian” holiday, it has a more Christian meaning here than it seems to have in the USA where we sing about snow, Santa Claus and other related things. For instance on Christmas Eve the youth of the churches have a traditional Christmas pageant just as we often have on the preceeding morning in the USA. Then from about midnight until 5 am on Christmas morning, they break into small groups and go carolling following a prescribed list of chruch members. It is traditional that when one hears carollers outside his home or apartment, he opens the door to listen and then invites the entire group into his home for hot drinks and snacks. After catching an hour or two of sleep, the sleepy teen and sponsor finds himself in church at 11 am on Christmas Day for the traditional Christmas worship service. The worship is followed by the baptism and the reception of new members into the church (teens as well as older adults). A traditional Christmas dinner is usually served at the church in a time of fellowship following the worship, baptismal service and the reception of new church members. No, the meal is not turkey or baked ham. Usually it is a hot bowl of rice cake soup (duk) served with kimchi of the side (kimchi is a variety of spicy pickeled vegetables, but especially Chinese style cabbage), a tangerine and perhape a cookie or two.Sometimes gifts are given at home, but NOT in the same quantity that most Americans give. One might hear Christmas music on the radio and TV during Christmas Day or even a couple of days before, but not like it is done in the USA; that is following Thanksgiving and quite often.