KMK: Halloween 2009

As an American in Seoul, celebrating holidays here is like entering the twilight zone. Quirky holidays that you’ve never heard of before, strange twists on familiar holidays, and the complete absence of some holidays makes for a pretty disconcerting time.

Take for instance, Pepero Day, a holiday celebrated on November 11 in honor of a seemingly innocuous chocolate snack you can find in most convenience stores in Korea. It’s tasty, I admit, though not enough to go out and buy a pack. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone actually buy a box of Pepero. It’s more like if someone offers you one you won’t say no. Still, once a year, the entire populace goes mad with Pepero fever as every child, woman, and man rushes out to buy the slim chocolate cracker sticks as if their lives depended on it. Whole stores will be decorated in Pepero colors with Pepero mascots dancing around enticing passerby to buy the sweet chocolate candy stick.

Then there’s Christmas time in Korea. You’d think that with a population of millions of Christians that Christmas here would be like it is in Western countries. You’d be wrong. I mean, some things are fairly similar with icons like Santa Claus, and reindeer and Christmas trees decorating the city, but the tilt comes in the realization that Christmas in Korea is less about the Family and more about romance and coupling. That’s right, when December 25th hits it’s all about Santa’s boots knocking and not so much jingle bells ringing.

So, with that in mind, it should come as no surprise that Halloween in kimchi land doesn’t happen like it does back home. Actually it barely happens at all. Most Korean folk aren’t really big on Halloween, which is a little perplexing since it’s a holiday perfect for Koreans. I thought costumes would be embraced by the mischievous and frivolous side of the folks here and let’s not get started on the copious amounts of candy and the Korean sweet tooth (I’ve never seen so many Dunk n Donuts and Baskin Robins). Sadly, it’s just not the case. Most of the Halloween festivities are for and directed at the foreign community with a few die hard open minded Koreans thrown in the mix.

Maybe it’s because of the dearth of celebratory activities for Halloween in Korea that the foreign community does it up big time with costumes so outlandish they put gay pride parades to shame. My friends and I went with a UN theme this year. Everyone dressed up in the native garb of a specific country with no regard to time period or taste. While out and about we ran into everyone from the Reno 911 folks to a cracked out Cobra Commander.

Hopefully, Halloween becomes more popular in the future, but even it doesn’t there will always be a foreigner ready and willing to don that Marie Antoinette costume and hit the bars rocking a powered wig, bustle, and garters.