Christmas Day, held on December 25, celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity. It is also called "Seongtanil" (聖誕日). The night before Chistmas Day is called "Christmas Eve." Early Christians and Catholics traditionally celebrate the Midnight Mass, which begins either at or sometime before midnight on Christmas Eve, so the day became important

성탄절 관련 자료이미지

Nativity Celebration in Myeongdong Cathedral in Junggu, Seoul	Christmas Card

For centuries, there was great uncertainty regarding the nativity of Jesus, and several dates ranging from early January to late March were considered following the different calendars used in different eras. But it was Pope Julius I who, in the year 350, assigned December 25 as the birth date of Jesus. In Great Britain Christmas was officially endorsed by the Church as a national holiday in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and over time the holiday placed importance on benevolence and generosity to the poor, while the custom of giving gifts spread. In Korea today, Christmas is a big holiday enjoyed not only by children but also by grown-ups and all families.
The concept of Christmas was introduced to Korea in the late 1700s and 1800s when Catholicism and Protestantism were introduced to the country, respectively. Korea’s first privately run daily newspaper, the "Dongnip Sinmun" (獨立新聞), introduced Christmas as an important holiday and described Christian events in detail. For the majority of Koreans living in farms, Christmas was not an important occasion at that time; while non-Christians living in cities came to view Christmas as an enjoyable day. For most Korean people today, however, Christmas is understood to be one of the seasonal customs to end the year regardless of their religion. The Christmas customs of Santa Claus and the giving of gifts hold special meaning for children in particular, and the ubiquitous sound of Christmas carols in December has become an important seasonal symbol. The establishment of Christmas in Korea as an important season owes much to the national policy on public holidays and the large number of Christians in Korea.