As the holidays approach, you may wish to greet your Korean colleagues with:
Sae hae bok man i ba deu say yo! (Seasons Greetings)
(I will modify the Romanization for easier pronunciation).
Hint: Break the greeting into: sae hae bok—mah ne—bah deu say yo
In South Korea, the government recognizes Christmas December 25 as a public holiday. Christians, who make up about 30% of the population, celebrate the occasion as a religious holiday.
Like in the West, both Christians and non-Christians may engage in some holiday customs such as gift-giving, sending Christmas cards, and setting up decorated trees in their homes. Children have embraced Santa Claus, whom they call Santa Grandfather.
Each year I see more signs of commercialism in Korea with stores and buildings displaying Christmas decorations and offering holiday sales.
Sae hae bok man i ba deu say yo! works well and is a common seasonal greeting. For those wanting to wish someone Merry Christmas use Sung tan jul chuk ha.
If you have a specific question, please feel to contact me by email.
On behalf of myself and Bridging Culture, have a happy holiday season!
Sae hae bok man i ba deu say yo!
Don
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