Introduction
Every culture since the earliest beginnings of human civilization have established dates and times every year that is of significant value inspiring celebration and traditions. Most holidays celebrated today, all over the globe, have their origins in places long ago and far away. Granted, sometimes the holidays remain unchanged through time and others, however, may evolve into very different things over the generations. There are some holidays that are shared all across the globe, in many different cultures, like Christmas. Other holidays may serve a similar purpose, but not necessarily celebrated on the same months or dates, like New Years. The United States celebrates Christmas and New Years, as does Korea, but there is clear differences amidst these similarities.
Background
Western and Eastern philosophies and viewpoints can be quite different. That being said, it should be no surprise that the United States and Korea have many different practices, cultural imperatives and perceptions of the world and their place in it. The United States is primarily a Christian nation, statistically speaking, with the inclusion of many ideas and traditions from the many different minority populations living in the United States. Korea, also, has variation, a large portion are Buddhist, some Christian, about 30% and many people who are either ambiguous about religion or admitted atheists (Choi 1). However, all of the different cultures around the world have not only differences, but also similarities. This can be seen in many aspects including how they celebrate the same holidays.
Discussion
There is no doubt that there are some aspects of culture that is fundamentally different from one another in many ways. The differences between United States culture and the Korean culture are ever-present. That being said, it is no surprise that there are similarities, but, also, the differences (Choi 1). American might find that their traditions are in some way universal around the world and many Koreans may feel the same way. In order to understand those holidays and the cultures that celebrate them it is best to address them individually.
Christmas is celebrated on December 25th every year. In the United States, there are two extremes regarding the holiday called “Christmas.” For many Americans, Christmas is a sacred religious holiday representing the birth of Jesus Christ for many Christians in all states and countries all across the globe. For those who are devout participating in certain church rituals like attending Catholic mass at their local church is typical. However, there is another side of Christmas celebrated in the United States. The erecting of Christmas trees adorned with twinkling lights and decorative balls (Bickerstaff-Glover 1). They may go caroling and sing traditional Christmas songs, like “Jingle Bells” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Many hold a Christmas dinner that may include ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and the most recognizable of all Christmas oriented foods, the infamous “fruit cake.” There are card and gift-giving traditions that are part of the Christmas tradition. One of the most recognizable characters during the Christmas season is Santa Claus. While named after a religious saint, Santa Claus, has little to do with modern religion. Santa, the tree and the gift giving are all practices that were borrowed from the pagan religions traditions from Western Europe (Bickerstaff-Glover 1). Some Americans celebrate both extremes, but most people practice a middle-ground interpretation.
There are also two elements of Christmas in Korea, as well, depending on whether you live in North or South Korea. In North Korea, because of the strict and controlling government regime, Christians and the celebration of Christian holidays, like Christmas, is just shy of being considered illegal. Many Christians have been arrested, tortured and jailed for aiding Christians to escape North Korea and for participating in the “underground” Christian movement. That being said Christmas is a secretive and dangerous to practice (Cain 1). However, in South Korea it is a bit different there are a great many more practicing Christians and it has been highly influenced by modern Christmas traditions from Europe and the United States. That said South Koreans decorate the Christmas tree, display exterior decorations, exchange cards and gifts and, even, go caroling. They also prepare a holiday meal, which includes popular Korean dishes like spicy pickled cabbage, called gimche, barbecued beef, called bulgogi, rice cake soup and sweet potato noodles (Mayntz 1).
New Years
New Years is another holiday celebrated in one way or another in most cultures around the world. In the United States New Years is celebrated on January 1st every year. Americans gather at parties and on the streets on the evening of December 31st, waiting for midnight to strike in order to ring in the New Year. Some of the more popular New Years traditions in America include, singing an old European song, titled “Auld Lang Syne,” watching the ball drop in Times Square in New York City just as midnight arrives, champagne toasts, and kissing at the strike of twelve (Lee 1). For some it is all about the following morning and waking up to watch the Rose Parade, where all the floats are decorated with only flowers and plant parts. To others, it is the Rose Bowl, football game played every year on New Years that is most important. While many people may go out to dinner, there are few food related aspects of the New Years, in fact, in many ways the American is more about drinking than eating. This is in contrast to Christmas where food is essential (Bickerstaff-Glover 1). In some parts of the country, there are fireworks set off to celebrate the New Year. The American New Year is very much a national holiday, it is not a religious or culturally “sacred” the way it is in many other cultures.
Some Korean’s celebrate their New Years, which is called “Seollal” on January 1st in accordance with the Western calendar. However, there is more than one presentation of New Years, some practice the solar cycle, called “Sinjeong,” according to Gregorian calendar; this means that it may fall on different days of the year, for example this year the Korean solar New Year will be February 8th. The New Year is incredibly important to the Korean people and most of their practice is the same practices celebrated for hundreds of years. In many ways it is the most important of holidays that are celebrated by Koreans (Mayntz 1). They may play traditional names and practice certain ancient rights. There is generally a meal, where the family gathers together. The meals generally consist of a traditional soup made from beef, eggs, vegetables and rice cakes called “tteok-guk.” When one consumes this soup it is the moment that they gain another year of age. Some of the most distinct traditions include a tradition of respect from the children to their elders, by presenting them with gifts. Elders may also give gifts or, more often, money and blessing of a prosperity and joy in the year to come (Korean Tourism Organization 1). For many Koreans the celebration of the New Year is a far bigger and more important holiday than any other, including Christmas, which is for the most part the biggest holiday in the United States.
Compare & Contrast
Granted, these holidays still have similarities, but they manifest in many varying ways as well. One cannot ignore that there are stark similarities, which is most seen in South Korea’s adoption of most of the Western Christmas traditions. In contrast, the importance of the New Year’s celebration in Korean culture is clearly different from Americas more lax and laid-back celebration of New Years. While the holidays may be different in some places, for the most part the spirit of the holidays remains the same. Christmas is a time of good humor, giving gifts, hope, faith and gratitude shared with loved ones and friends. Regardless of the individual traditions, foods and decoration, at the core it is the same. When it comes to New Years, again, much of what the holiday of represents is to celebrate the turning of another year, to reflect on the previous year and maintain hope for the good of the year to come (Korean Tourism Organization 1). Whether you are an American or Korean these intentions seem to be the same at the core.
Conclusion
There are children in the United States that cannot wait to open gifts left under the tree from Santa Claus on Christmas morning; there are children in Korea who are more invested in the gifts they might get for New Years. There are religious Americans who celebrate the value and meaning, in the Christian belief, of the religious savior, both, in the West and in the East. Whether one celebrates New Years on January 1st or the middle of February, the sentiment and cultural dedication may differ, but once again, is more or less universal. Even the Korean Christians in North Korea, whose holiday is a time of fear and worry; there is something to be said for people who are willing to risk their freedoms, even that lives, in order to celebrate together as their conscious guides them. In the end holidays are designed to be that can bring all people together and bring out the spirit of love, compassion and generosity; that translates regardless of language spoken or time of year being celebrated.
Work Cited
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