Christmas is not really a big deal in Korea. Although about half the population is Christian and the other half is Buddhist - roughly. Christmas has definitely not reached the level of commercialism as the U.S. and other Western countries.
Students and employees only get the day of Christmas off from school or work and it is not a family holiday. People spend the day with their significant others or friends, rather than family. It's much more like Valentine's Day is celebrated in the U.S.
I had plans to spend Christmas in Seoul with friends. There was a "12 Pubs of Christmas" Party in Seoul that I was soooo looking forward to.
However, given that I had spent the two weeks before Christmas sick as a dog and I was sporting a wicked ear infection and a nearly-ruptured eardrum, I thought better of spending Christmas with 10 1/2 million of my nearest and dearest in Seoul.
Instead I dogsat for a couple of my friends who went home and went to Seoul for the holiday. I spent the day watching movies and polishing off a nice bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. It was quite blissful, actually. It even snowed on the evening of Christmas! I was so excited!!!!
Would have been really fun to hit those 12 pubs though.
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