Galleria

In Search of Christmas

I miss the unashamed consumerism of Christmas. It isn't really a religious holiday in the West, it's more the worship of consumerism in general. The time of year when stores turn the kind of profits that keep them running throughout the rest of the year. That's right, I was in search of the Christmases of my early adulthood, when the magic was starting to wear thin, and I had a responsibility to buy more presents than I was reasonably expecting to receive. I wanted to see the Koreans running around stressing that there were only two weekends left before Christmas.

I went to my local Galleria, a large white building that shows all the architectural imagination of a house-brick. Korean architecture seems to be all about functionality. OK, so one of the corners was rounded, and there were elevator shafts travelling up one side like some kind of crazy racing stripe, but on the whole it was just a large white cube. It did, however, have a big red and white Christmas display around the main entrance, which piqued my anticipation.

Galleria Timeworld Department Store.

Inside it seemed like business as normal. When I say 'business as normal', I actually mean the place was like tomb. Sales staff were everywhere, chatting, making phone calls or just standing around looking bored. I would estimate that on the whole 9 floors of pristine shopping territory, there were probably less than 100 customers. Didn't they care that Christmas is coming? The madness was on the way. They'd better get their shopping done soon, or they'd be part of the last mad dash on Christmas Eve.

A dearth of customers.

Then I noticed something else. There were no Christmas decorations up. I saw one or two small trees at the ends of the escalators, but other than that there was nothing. As I looked around, I decided I needed to revise my mission. Forget searching for Christmas madness. I was now in search of any overt evidence that Christmas was less than three weeks away.

I walked every single floor in search of Christmas. It took me well over an hour to amble around. At the basement entrance I found a solitary table of cheap, gaudy Christmas decorations, but it was on the seventh floor that I hit paydirt. I found a large table (though not too large) full of artificial trees, candles, Santa dolls and other Christmas knick-knacks. There was even one customer there, thinking about buying a wreath. I didn't stay to see if she bought it, but I think she wasn't going to.

Santa and Christmas Trees.

And I guess that really sums up Christmas in Korea for me. Last year it seemed that Christmas arrived on Christmas Eve and departed suddenly at midnight on Boxing Day, as if it were afraid to outstay its welcome, something it regularly does in the West.

I wrote at the start of this column that I miss the consumerism of Christmas. On reflection I realise that I miss it like I miss the unhealthy food of home. I crave the memory of it, but I'm happy it isn't here. And just I am healthier for the absence of so many fats from my diet, I'm sure my bank balance will be healthy enough on December 26th to allow me to eat at the Outback Steakhouse. I think I'll name this another thing I love about Korea.

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