Korean Job Discussion Forums

Unreal · Joined: 01 Jul 2004 Location: Jeollabuk-do

This morning I found out that while most of the teachers get the day off, students have to come back to the school dormitories on Christmas eve and spend Christmas day at the school. They don't have to study but instead are going to have a Christmas party all day. I don't get it.

Some students are going to perform dances and plays. (I suspect each class will put on a presentation but I get all my school need-to-know information directly from the students themselves so I'm not sure about this point yet). My first class asked me if we weren't doing anything important, to have time to practice their dance. I said OK, then as soon as the students left the office, excited at this news, another teacher said, "No, no! No practice in class time!" I argued with her about the fact that exams and all grading is finished, so what more important things am I going to be doing in my class anyway. She pressed her point again without supplying any reasons. I'm guessing it's just another pointless rule passed on this morning at the staff meeting.

The worst thing is that while I think it is lame that the students have to spend Christmas at the school instead of with their families, I am seriously considering joining them as we don't have anyone else to spend Christmas with. I find Christmas the hardest time of the year for me to be away from family and maybe this will be a welcome diversion.

poet13 · Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 6:44 pm Post subject:

Christmas at school....hmm....no way. Nothing to do with my lack of beliefs. But it's christmas. I have asked a lot of students before whether they celebrate christmas, and surprisingly (to me at least) that very few actually celebrated, even the christians.

crazy_arcade · Joined: 05 Nov 2006

Christmas is a Western commerical event. We don't celebrate christmas, we celebrate shopping....

It's not a big event here and there is absolutely no reason for it to be such. How much cultural imperialism do we need?

being with family is nice but that's secondary for most. the kids will be with their family for Seoulnal.

Do you celebrate Seoulnal in your home country? No, because it's not your holiday. Do you celebrate Pepero Day in your home country, No.

Unreal · Joined: 01 Jul 2004 Location: Jeollabuk-do

dmbfan · Joined: 09 Mar 2006

Christmas is a Western commerical event. We don't celebrate christmas, we celebrate shopping....

It's not a big event here and there is absolutely no reason for it to be such. How much cultural imperialism do we need?

being with family is nice but that's secondary for most. the kids will be with their family for Seoulnal.

Do you celebrate Seoulnal in your home country? No, because it's not your holiday. Do you celebrate Pepero Day in your home country, No.

That's because people in the world really don't give a hoot about those two holidays. As for you crazy arcade, chill the F**k out. It IS a national holiday here. And, I don't think that the West held Korea at gun point demanded that they make Christmas a national holiday. However, before you continue to think Christmas is not a big deal in Korea, let me ask you this. What is the percentage of the Korean population that is Christian?

chill out.

merry CHRISTMAS!!!

dmbfan

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

I can't imagine my school doing that but if they did, ...well, I might come in to celebrate Christmas with everyone, too.

Juregen · Joined: 30 May 2006

In Korea Christmas is the Birthday of Christ.

That is it, not more not less.

It doesn't carry the same value here.

In Europe Christmas is the time to spend with family, in Korea it is a day to go out with your friends
In Europe New Year is a time of celebration, in Korea it is time to spend time with your Family.

So koreans have a different value interpretation of the events.

Juregen · Joined: 30 May 2006

khyber · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Compunction Junction

xmas is what you make it.

that is all.