Why Does Christmas in Korea Feel Like a Day for Couples?

When I was a child, Christmas began at home. I woke up, watched cartoons or a movie, and made a special meal with my parents. Search for Christmas in Korea in English and you will find stories about couples going on dates, but the first people in my own memories are my mother and father.

I remember making and eating that meal together at home more clearly than I remember what was on the menu. We did not need to visit a famous restaurant for the day to feel like Christmas. There was a movie in the morning, followed by a meal we prepared together.

In my twenties and around thirty, I also went on Christmas dates when I was in a relationship. I understand where the idea of Christmas as a day for couples comes from. With December travel in mind, though, there is another part of those outings I would mention first: the crowded streets.

There were so many people.

Christmas dates in Sinchon and Hongdae

Back then, going out in areas such as Sinchon or Hongdae meant joining both the people looking for popular restaurants and everyone else out on the streets. The crowds made it difficult even to walk. I had gone out for a date, but moving through all those people felt uncomfortable.

The memory that stays with me is walking through those streets, rather than a particular restaurant queue or a failed reservation. I cannot tell you that I waited a certain number of hours at a particular restaurant. What I remember clearly is how difficult it was to get around Sinchon and Hongdae in the first place.

I have never liked going somewhere crowded and hectic, so a busy Christmas shopping and dining district was an awkward place for me to relax. Being there with a partner did not make the crowded surroundings any easier to enjoy. My preference for quieter places still came with me on the date.

These days, I do not make a special trip to a restaurant or cafe on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I prefer spending the day with family or on my own. The Christmases I spent at home with my parents and the dates I went on when I was younger are both part of my experience. What suits me now has changed.

How Christmas in Korea differs from family holidays

One reason Christmas dates stand out is that the day has a different place in the calendar from the traditional Lunar New Year and autumn harvest holidays. Those holidays give family gatherings and trips home an important role. Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus for Christians, while other people enjoy it as a day in the festive year-end season.

The Seoul Tourism Organization’s public-holiday guide describes couples going on dates and families enjoying the Christmas atmosphere. Some people attend church, and others spend time with friends or family. Calling it a day for couples describes one particularly visible part of the celebration.

Decorations, presents, and special outings can strengthen that association with dating. Writing for Korea.net, Mexican honorary reporter Laura Lopez Velazquez explained that commercial influences and social media affect gift buying among younger people. She compared the occasion to a second Valentine’s Day, while also describing families with young children celebrating together.

That description cannot stand for every Korean household. In my own childhood, Christmas was a day with my parents. Couples going out and families spending time together can both be part of the same holiday. Going on a date has a place on a day that does not revolve around the extended-family gatherings of traditional holidays.

These accounts do not establish an exact year when the romantic image took hold. They do help explain the connection: Christmas has a different role from the traditional family holidays, and its decorations, gifts, and festive outings lend themselves to dates.

What to check before a Christmas meal or cafe visit

If you are visiting in December and want to eat out on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, start with the venue’s information for your chosen date. My crowded outings in Sinchon and Hongdae happened in the past; they cannot tell you exactly how busy any street will be this year. You can still leave room between your meal and your next stop, with an alternative route if the crowds become uncomfortable.

For prices, look beyond the ordinary menu. As far as I know, some popular restaurants charge more on occasions such as Christmas, when many people go out to eat. That does not mean every restaurant raises its prices. When booking, ask whether the regular menu is available, whether only a special set menu is served, and what the quoted price includes.

Discounts need their own check, too. Grand Hyatt Incheon’s dining-membership benefits document, for example, lists exclusions for the Christmas season and special menus on certain dates. If you assume your usual discount applies, the amount you pay may differ from the meal budget you had in mind.

Before making your plans, check the following:

• Reservation availability: Search using your intended date, time, and party size. If the venue says reservations are required, check when bookings open.
• The meal price for that date: Find out whether the ordinary price or a special-menu price applies, and whether drinks and taxes are included.
• Booking conditions: Read the information about deposits, cancellations, refunds, and any time limit for your visit. Conditions vary between venues.
• Opening hours: December 25 is a public holiday in Korea, but shops and restaurants do not all close. Check the hours of each place you plan to visit.

Once you have picked a restaurant, use its own notices and booking page to plan your visit. If this year’s Christmas information is not available yet, treat last year’s prices as past information and check again when the new announcement appears.

Making room for the December day you want

Reading about all the Christmas dates does not mean you have to find solo travel difficult that day. I went out with a partner when I was younger, and now I prefer time with family or by myself. The setting where you feel comfortable matters alongside the people you spend the day with.

If you want to visit well-known restaurants and busy districts on December 24 or 25, check the date-specific prices and booking conditions first. Allow time to get around before and after your meal, and choose somewhere else you could go if the streets are too crowded. For a quieter day, consider eating near your accommodation instead of fitting several famous districts into one itinerary.

You do not need to follow a couple’s itinerary to experience the holiday. Choose one meal you want, check the conditions for that day, and leave the rest of your time flexible enough to suit your companions and your own preferences.

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