it is only the beginning of november, but it is already starting to feel like holiday season – my least favorite yikes! shortly after i achieved autonomy to manage my own schedule for holidays, i realized how manipulating the holidays are to sell companion for candies and carols! i have to admit the time i probably started hating it even more than when i faced valentines’ day without a date was when i moved out to the states far away from family. the excitement and joy produced by social setup was harsh to aliens.
i shouldn’t be bitter about the core sense of the beautiful holidays such as christmas or thanksgiving. having a chance to gather around with family sharing stories and warm food is a wonderful tradition. but everyone knows how capitalism made it into a ugly monster where everything is wrapped up in red and people are forced to shop with unimaginable amount of pressure. there has been too much manner added into the meaning. there’s no nature’s rule that everyone is scheduled to be happy around this end of the year just like trees shed leaves in winter. but the happy carols make you feel like you ’should’ be happy, otherwise there’s something wrong with you. that’s what i hate about holidays. the artificial joy.
korea shares some of the American holidays celebrated world-widely like christmas, and new year’s. we also have thanksgiving but on different date – we go by lunar calendar (august 15th), which changes every year on solar calendar (it was september 15th this year.)
the general idea is the same anywhere for holidays i suppose, families gather and share food and laughter. but i feel the implication is stronger in America because people leave home when they enter college possibly to another city hours and hours away, and don’t get to see their family too often.
whereas koreans stay home normally until they get married. i think it is largely to different size of a land – half of korean population lives in Seoul. So there’s not many other places you would move to. i’m sure there are many other social factors – i.e. koreans are one blood, family-oriented, historically origin village matters, etc. – but i’m more interested in the outcomes generated by the different distance from family.
it is definitely a major social factor when it comes to analyze different behaviors of two culture. it is significant because it is a subject not on the individual level (whether you are cool enough to leave your parents), but it is a social setting (’everyone’ lives with parents). dating, getting a job, spending money, planning your whole life shapes in a different way due to this living condition.
i hope to continue posting small analysis with interesting episodes on this subject.
the more i compare two cultures, the more i realize it is so important to completely eliminate biased judgment on any side of the culture. it is very easy to favor one you had more fun with, but it is absolutely non-sense to judge just becuase it looks better or you were taught that way. if judgment has to come, it should be coming from your sincere values of life not from your ancient habits or custom. the problem is it is quite tricky to remove your habitual concepts from your valuation. and that is the challenge i am working on back at home these days.











