Korean community celebrates Christmas in Utah

Intermountain Catholic

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Father David Bittmenn will celebrate the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass for the Korean community at St. Patrick Parish, Salt Lake City. IC photo by Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — "Sung Dan Juk Ha," is the Korean Christmas greeting. The Korean Community begins their celebration by gathering at St. Patrick Parish, Salt Lake City, on Christmas Eve one hour before Mass.

There, the Korean Children’s Choir sings Christmas carols and performs a skit. The community then forms a circle with candlelight for a simple meditation. Following Mass, light refreshments are served before going home to wait for Santa Claus to come down the chimney with presents for the children.

A Korean Christmas dinner includes dishes such as ddeok guk (rice-cake soup), bulgogi (barbecue beef), beef with various vegetables, maeng myeon (clear noodles made from green mung beans), and gimchi (spicy pickled Chinese cabbage). Fruit and assorted sweets are also served. The dinner can also include spicy beef or chicken soup. The Koreans cook with a lot of hot peppers, black and red pepper, soy sauce, and garlic.

"The content of our celebration may differ a little from year to year depending on who is in charge," said Gemma Kang of the Korean community. "Our community changes each year as families and students move in and out of Salt Lake City."

Kang said the Christmas refreshments they serve are rice cakes, cream puffs, a Korean rice drink, and punch. Rice cakes and a rice drink are the main tradition for all of the Korean holiday celebrations.

Lay Catholic missionaries introduced Christianity to Korea in the late 18th century, with Protestants following about 100 years later. Although Christians today comprise only 25 percent of Korea’s population, South Korea recognizes Christmas as a public holiday. Korean non-Christians who otherwise go about their daily routine on Dec. 25, may engage in some holiday customs such as gift-giving, sending Christmas cards, and setting up decorated trees in their homes.

Local radio stations begin playing holiday music a few days before Christmas, and on Christmas Day. Television stations air Christmas films and cartoon specials popular in the United States. An increasing number of stores and buildings display Christmas decorations, and there is a strong American influence behind the Korean celebration of Christmas.

Father David Bittmenn, pastor of St. Patrick Parish, celebrates Mass for the Korean community every Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Following Mass the community meets in the social hall for traditional Korean dishes such as spicy beef or chicken soup, white rice, maeng myeon, and gimchi. Fr. Bittmenn does not speak Korean, but he prepares his homily ahead of time so it can be translated into Korean. The community can then follow along because they speak varying amounts of English.

"We really appreciate Fr. Bittmenn," said Kang. "He is such as good priest. He teaches us what is said in the gospel so we can understand. The people in our community are not afraid to come to him because he makes us feel comfortable. We even come to him for the Sacrament of Reconciliation."

The Korean community formed a council in the Diocese of Salt Lake City in 1990 and began meeting at St. Catherine of Siena Parish and Newman Center, Salt Lake City, before meeting at St. Patrick Parish. Peter Kim is the president of the Korean Council along with his wife Lucy.

"We began with only 10 members in 1990," said Kang. "Now the young and old alike are joining our community. We have about 100 members, and we baptize about 10 new members each year."