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Can we create a cross-cultural understanding of Christmas as a holiday – and beyond?

I was in Seoul during December and found myself in the middle of a consumption of Christmas clearly adopted from America.

Cultural globalization is about more than consumption. It is about transmitting ideas, meaning and values to build a collective understanding. During my stay that December we developed The Norwegian Christmas Workshop; a gathering to share experiences, transmit meaning and values, and build common ground for cross-cultural co-creation. For the workshop in Paju Typography Institute (PaTI) I brought lots of Norwegian gluhwein and big boxes of Norwegian Christmas cookies. 

First day we shared personal experiences around Christmas and discussed how this global phenomenon connects (or not!) to Korean culture. Second day, we indulged ourselves in a traditional Norwegian Christmas Workshop. Gathering around the table; drinking, eating and sharing stories while making Scandinavian Christmas paper hearts together.

Although some paper heart patterns were found painfully difficult, The Norwegian Christmas Workshop is a simple and unpretentious gathering that nevertheless, powerfully connects people and creates readiness for co-creation.