Moving to a new, foreign country is a daunting task which many expats find very overwhelming. At Asia Expat Guides, we understand your concerns and your specific needs as an expat. We routinely share articles and expat tips about moving to Asia at http://asiaexpatguides.com/expat-tips/. In this particular slide, we compile the various Christmas Traditions in Asia.

1. Various Christmas Traditions
in Asia
A Guide for Expats in Asia
By: Asia Expat Guides

2. • Christmas is not widely celebrated in China so the Christmas
atmosphere here is probably not as grand as in other Asian
countries like Japan, Singapore, or South Korea. However, if you
stay in the major cities, you can still feel the Christmas
atmosphere on some streets and shopping malls.
• A unique Christmas tradition in China is giving apples on Christmas
Eve due to word similarity of “Christmas Eve” (Ping An Ye) and
apple (Ping Guo) in Chinese. So, if you„re an expat in China, you
might consider giving away apples on Christmas Eve!

3. • There are only 2.3% of Indian populations who are Christians, so
Christmas is not a really big celebration compared to other Indian
festivals. What‟s unique about Christmas tradition in India is the
mix between traditional/Western Christmas traditions with Indian
traditions. For example, instead of decorating pine trees, many
people would decorate a banana or mango tree at their homes.
They might also use mango leaves to decorate their homes, just
like they would do in Diwali festival (Indian New Year or Festival of
Lights).
• So, are you ready to enliven your house with decorated banana or
mango tree this Christmas?

4. •
•
Although only about one percent of people are Christians, Christmas is
celebrated widely in Japan, because it is known as more of the time to
spread happiness rather than a religious celebration. Peculiarly, Christmas
Eve is thought of as a romantic day just like Valentine‟s Day, when couples
spend Christmas Eve together and exchange presents. If you‟re planning to
have a Christmas Eve meal at a restaurant, make sure to book in advance
because restaurants are usually full of lovebirds having a romantic meal.
There is also another unique Christmas tradition in Japan which is a mix
between traditional/Western Christmas with Japanese culture. Instead of
having Santa Claus, there‟s a Buddhist monk called Hotei-osho who brings
presents to each house and leaves them for the children on Christmas Eve;
although this Japanese god of good fortune is from Buddhism and not
really related to Christmas.

5. •
•
Christians make up about 25-30% of the population in South Korea, so
you‟ll be able to feel Christmas in the air if you‟re an expat in South
Korea. During the holiday seasons, expect to see lights all over the
city, especially if you stay in Seoul. Department stores are competing to
display the grandest Christmas decorations and the city center is fully
decorated with lights, even along the bridges over Han River.
Going to Church for Christmas is becoming a popular tradition, even
among non Christians. At home, Christian families would have a traditional
Christmas trees and exchange presents on Christmas day. Uniquely, the
popular present in South Korea is money! Giving actually gifts has become
more popular, but giving money is still very common, so don‟t feel
offended if you receive money for Christmas.

6. •
•
Although Christians are not a majority in Singapore, Singapore goes crazy for
Christmas. Christmas time in Singapore is largely a secular event that takes
place not at home but in malls and restaurants around the city. Highly
influenced by the Western nations, Christmas in Singapore is similar to
Christmas in the Western countries, such as the concept of turkey dinner and
the exquisite decorations of Christmas.
In Singapore, you will experience a sort of refreshing festive mood in the air.
There are many types of programs and events like music performances,
extravagant shopping sale, cruises, extensive lighting, caroling, parades,
concerts, traditional dance shows and many more such types of events. For an
overwhelming dose of Christmas cheer, head to Singapore‟s shopping street of
Orchard Road. This two-kilometer stretch is so spectacularly decorated they
run nightly “Orchard Road Christmas Light Up” open-top bus tours and every
mall has a Christmas tree or two, often made from materials like candy,
jewels, ribbons, and even teddy bears.

7. • Being away from your friends and family and celebrating Christmas
in a strange land must be very tough. Tasks like shopping the best
ingredients for Christmas dinner, ordering food from the best
catering companies or shopping the best gifts for your family might
seem like mountainous tasks because you are not familiar with
your new neighborhood.
• You can have a nice, memorable Christmas at your home away
from home in Asia! We can assist you in your preparations like
shopping for groceries or Christmas gifts, making dinner
reservations in the best place in town or catering reservation for
Christmas dinner at your new home, and so on.
• Have an enjoyable holiday with Asia Expat Guides!

8. For more information about
being an expat in Asia, visit
http://asiaexpatguides.com