Berkley Center

In the United States, people (at least pretend to) lament the commercialization of Christmas—how Santa starts showing up in commercials earlier and earlier—but Korea has taken commercialization and materialism to another level and it has thrived economically because of it. Whole new holidays have been invented for the sole purpose of selling different products—Pepero day, on November 11, is just one of these days, but every month on the fourteenth, there’s another, specifically geared toward couples (example: White Day, March 14, where men give women candy to repay women for giving men chocolate on Valentine’s Day). All these holidays are celebrated with relish, and even though Korea does not celebrate American Thanksgiving, the Black Friday tradition has easily caught on. As commercialized as holidays have become in the United States, Korea has exceeded even that level.

Commercialization of Korean holidays has roots in the materialism that was already present in Korea since it started coming out of the economic depression following the Korean War. At the end of the war, South Korea was poorer than North Korea, so many people still alive remember growing up in the lean times from the 1950s to mid-1960s. Korea experienced rapid economic growth from that point on, leading to massive importation of American goods, including, as time went on, brand names. Having brand name handbags, clothes, and shoes has become a status symbol in South Korea—the ultimate expression of the celebration of capitalism and wealth. The first time I came to Korea, we were instructed to bring gifts for our homestay families and then told that both regional gifts and brand name perfumes and ties would be appreciated gifts.

While the fascination with brand name clothes from Europe and the United States is not likely to abate, Korea also does an incredible job of marketing their domestic goods from Samsung, LG, and Hyundai. Almost every TV, computer, and phone regularly seen around Seoul is likely made by Samsung.

What is the terminology to be used for these fourteenth days, though? They are not holidays for which people get off work or festivals like the Lantern Festival, which has translated across time and changed to include more modern trappings of electric lights within the traditional paper and bamboo to create both traditional and commercial figures. These days are mainly for the younger generation, as there are some serious cultural divides between the older and younger generations. The fourteenth day “anniversaries” cause social stress connected to a feeling of obligation or guilt to give or not give small treats to coworkers and friends. If one gives Pepero to a boss, it may be seen as kissing up, but if you do not and others do, you might be singled out as someone who does not appreciate the hard work of team leaders. The importance of relationships and interconnectedness are ingrained in Korean society, creating a high-context culture concept called nunchi, wherein one is supposed to be able to understand what others want based on a feeling based on body language and previous knowledge of the person rather than explicit instructions or requests.

Christmas Day, generally recognized in the United States as the birth of Christ as well as the day Santa comes and brings toys to all the good little boys and girls, is used in Korea as a date day. Many couples in Seoul throng into amusement parks, sit in cafés, and exchange presents—instead of a quiet day with family or, if we are being more honest, a day we are equally lazy and materialistic, Korea has made Christmas into a capitalist dream. But this is not condemned by even the most conservative of churchgoers in Korea—instead it is celebrated. It has been refreshing to enjoy the Christmas season in Korea without the stress that the holidays usually bring, because both couples and singles can hang out with friends without feeling burdened to make a big deal out of the holiday. Christmas trees and decorations go up the day after Halloween. This level of commercialization is part of what has made Korea into such an economic success, against all odds, rising from rubble to industrialize and build large internationally-recognized conglomerates.

The traditional Korean holidays, Chuseok and Seollal, have remained far less commercialized than Christmas. Families travel across the country to come together and celebrate these fall harvest and winter lunar new year holidays, performing ancestral memorial rites by setting a table high with food for departed family, playing traditional games, and bowing to the elders in the family. The traditional Korean holidays have deeper cultural roots than the imported and newer Western holidays, which have social license to proliferate and have more commercial applications.