What Does Christmas Mean When It Isn’t Necessarily Religious? Egypt vs. South Korea
- Manar Aly
- Jan 3
- 3 min read
Why do some cities shine with thousands of lights in December while others seem almost quiet? Why do people everywhere want to gather, decorate, and celebrate at the end of the year?
Every December, the Republic of Korea offers a clear visual and cultural answer to these questions. Major cities, particularly Seoul, transform into luminous landscapes. Giant Christmas trees, garlands, and carefully decorated shop windows create a warm atmosphere that unmistakably signals the end of the year. In many streets, cafés, shops, restaurants, and even apartment buildings take part in the celebrations, adding lights and festive decorations. This collective effort turns everyday spaces into places of shared seasonal joy.
☃️ Christmas in Korea
© Manar Aly
Christmas, celebrated on December 25, is a national public holiday in Korea. However, for a large part of the population, it is not primarily a religious celebration. Instead, it is experienced as a social, emotional, and festive occasion. In Korean society, Christmas is often associated with romance and love. Couples frequently go out for dinner, exchange gifts, and take photos in front of illuminated streets, creating an atmosphere that sometimes resembles Valentine’s Day more than a traditional religious holiday.
Families also celebrate Christmas, though usually in a simple way. There is no specific traditional dish associated with the holiday; the most common symbol remains the Christmas light, neatly decorated and extremely popular during this period. While churches organize religious services for Christian communities, most people mainly enjoy the festive atmosphere, winter markets, and public events that take place throughout the cities.
The New Year also holds an important place in Korea. January 1st is a public holiday marked by countdowns and social gatherings. Nevertheless, the most culturally significant celebration remains Seollal, the Lunar New Year, which takes place later and is deeply centered on family traditions and ancestral customs.
🎄 A View from Egypt
© Manar Aly
In Egypt, things are different. The country is mostly Muslim, and Christians, mainly Copts, also celebrate important holidays.
December 25 is not a national holiday and is often seen as a regular end-of-year or shopping season. Still, in many city streets, cafés, shops, study spaces, and even apartment buildings put up decorations. While preparing for exams, these small lights and decorations served as a reminder that the year was coming to a close.
❄️ Festivity Between Work and Exams
© Manar Aly – Dojeon Media
Life does not slow down. There is no holiday break: exams continue, work goes on, and projects move forward. Yet, even without time off, the period feels special. Decorations, preparations, and the sense of a new year coming give it meaning.
Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7, following their religious calendar, in a spiritual and family-centered manner. For most Egyptians, New Year’s Eve on December 31 is the main celebration, marked by outings, concerts, and gatherings without religious focus.
What makes Christmas in Egypt particularly fascinating, especially when compared to Korea, is that almost every year, something unexpected and often humorous appears, a phenomenon that feels uniquely Egyptian. These moments quickly attract attention and become part of the season’s collective memory.
This year, one object stood out: a Santa Claus doll that, when pressed, says “Ramadan Karim.” The contrast surprised many people and quickly turned the toy into a popular talking point. Photos and videos circulated widely, and the doll became one of the most talked-about end-of-year details in 2025 in Egypt.
While Christmas in Korea follows familiar and well-organized patterns, romantic lights, couples ' outings, and consistent traditions, Egypt’s end-of-year atmosphere often includes spontaneous, playful surprises.
These moments, though lighthearted, reflect how global symbols like Santa Claus are reinterpreted locally, blending cultures and religions in spontaneous and often amusing ways.
🎅 A Cross-Cultural Perspective
© Manar Aly (by: PicsArt)
Experiences in multicultural schools, like French-language schools in Egypt, show that Christmas can go beyond religion. It becomes a social and cultural event, with decorations, performances, songs, and gift exchanges, a time for togetherness rather than faith.
Korea’s celebration works similarly. Christmas is social, symbolic, and inclusive. While Christmas remains religious for Egyptian Christians, the end of the year is celebrated by everyone through New Year's festivities. In Korea, Christmas has become a bright, emotional, and cultural highlight, alongside traditional celebrations like Seollal.
Why do lights, decorations, and gatherings feel so important? Perhaps because they bring people together, mark the end of a chapter, and give hope for what comes next. Whether in Seoul’s sparkling streets or Egypt’s decorated corners, the season is about connection, community, and joy.
So, what does Christmas mean to you? Is it a religious holiday, a cultural event, or simply a moment to celebrate the end of the year? And how does your city or country show that the year is ending and a new one is beginning?
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