1. Chu'sok
2. Sol-nal
3. Taeborum
4. Tano
5. Ch'op'ail
6. Cherry Blossom Festival
7. Children's Day
8. Winter Solstice Day
9. Christmas
10. Paegil
11. Tol
12. Hwan-gap

Chu'sok, Harvest Moon Festival the 15th day of the eighth lunar month

Chu'sok simply put is the western version of Thanksgiving. It is a two-day official holiday and is the second most celebrated holiday next to Lunar New Yearís Day. Traditionally, Koreans begin their day with rites honoring their ancestors. Families visit the grave of their ancestors and bow and clean the grave area for the coming winter. A traditional Chuísok food include Songpíyon, crescent-shaped rice cakes stuffed with sesame seeds, chestnut paste or beans. Grilled food, rice cakes, broth, cooked vegetables, kimchee (fermented cabbage), and fruit are some traditional dishes prepared for Chuísok. Viewing the full moon has always been the traditional way of celebrating for most Koreans. It is a day of giving thanks and reaffirming familial and community ties. * (Online Specials)  Top

Sol-nal, Lunar New Year's Day the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar

Sol-nal is a time to renew family ties and get together to prepare for the New Year ahead. The family traditionally gathers at the eldest male memberís home where ancestral memorial rites are held. They are dressed in new clothes; traditional Korean attire called solbim or Han-bok, which symbolizes a fresh beginning for the New Year. The costumes are often made in brightly colored silk brocade. Boys wear a loose jacket, usually a vest and trousers. Girls wear a short blouse and a long flowing skirt. In their new clothes, the younger generation bows deeply to their elders, wishing them good health and a prosperous New Year ahead. The elders often give gifts of money after the bows are performed.
Visiting is also a traditional part of the New Yearís celebration. Usually on the second or third day, adults make courtesy calls on their relatives and friends to offer holiday greetings. Guests bring gifts of holiday cakes or fruit or a bottle of rice wine.
Ttokkuk, a rice cake soup, is traditionally eaten on this day. It is believed that eating this soup adds one year to your age, making everyone a year older on New Years Day. Some favorite New Yearís game include Kite-flying and yut nori, a backgammon-like game, and see-sawing on large see-saws called nolttwigi. For adults, there is a card game called hwato, which is also enjoyed by children. The game is played with 48 small rectangular cards, which have illustrations of leaves, sky, brightly colored flowers, moon, and other objects. Many different games can be played with hwato cards. Top

Taeborum, The FIrst Full Moon  the 15th day of the first lunar month

This day falls sometime between early February and early March on the Gregorian (Western) calendar. It marks the start of the farming season and traditionally in the past marked the end of the New Yearís holiday season. Tae-Bo-Rum aims on seeking good health and happiness, expelling misfortune, and praying for a good harvest for the following year. On this day Koreans rise early and eat nuts in the belief that hard foods strengthen the teeth, and drink a cup of cold wine called kwibalki sul, which is thought to clear the ears for good news. A special five-grain rice called o-gok-pap, is eaten on Taeborum, with glutinous rice, beans, and sorghum. The highlight of this day is viewing the full moon. It is said that the first person to see the moon will be blessed with good luck. The moon also held special meaning for the farmers because they believed that the moonís color foretold the weather in the coming months. If the color of the first full moon was too pale, they believed there would be excessive rain. If the moon was too reddish, it meant there would be too little rain. However if the moon was golden, it meant a perfect weather for their crops. Top

Tano, Fifth Day of the Fifth Moon the fifth day of the fifth lunar month

Tano is a day set aside to have fun and enjoy life with dancing, singing, and sports. It is also a day where people perform ceremonies honoring village spirits and ancestors. Wrestling and swinging are two activities traditionally associated with Tano. Men often participate in ssirum, Koreaís wrestling, and women gather to swing on long rope swings. On this day, girls wash their hair in iris water in the belief that it will make their hair shinier, softer, and even darker. For women swing contests are held to compete to see who could swing the highest in the air. Round rice cakes cooked with mugwort leaves are the special food of the day. The cakes are placed in front of the door to ward off evil spirits. Top

Ch'op'ail, Buddha's Birthday the eighth day of the fourth lunar month

The eighth day of the fourth lunar month is reserved for Buddhaís birthday. In 1975, Buddhaís Birthday was made an official holiday in South Korea. Buddhists celebrate this day by honoring the Buddha with special chants and prayers. They may burn incense on the altar in front of Buddhaís statue. At night a procession of paraders march through the community with paper lotus lanterns. The lanterns are said to symbolize wisdom and mercy and to eliminate the dark spots in one's heart.  Top

Cherry Blossom Festival the first two weeks of April

The Cherry Blossom Festival is held in the southeastern seaside town of Chinhae. Chinae is where the headquarters of the Korean navy is now located. This festival originated during the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945). The Japanese planted a large number of cherry trees along the avenues of Chinhae after they had established it as their navel base. During the season of cherry blossoms, the town came alive with beautiful thick clouds of pink and white blossoms. Families would pack a picnic and make a day of eating lunch under the cherry blossom trees. Kim-pap (rolled-rice wrapped in dried-laver sheets) is the traditional dish packed for the excursion. It is a day to enjoy nature and spend time with loved ones. Today the town stages a parade where traditional folk games and musical performances are celebrated.  Top

Children's Day May 5

The government of South Korea set May 5 as Childrenís day in 1975, replacing the former ëBoys Day,î which originated during the Japanese colonial period. The establishment of this day acknowledges the importance of children regardless of sex and is a day of celebration for children. Special songs are sung that are dedicated to children and a celebration of parades and special events are held in honor of children throughout the country. Pageants and martial art demonstrations are also held. Children are usually dressed in traditional Korean attire and are treated to movies, museums, and amusement parks.  Top

Winter Solstice Day December 21 or 22

Tong-ji or winter solstice day is the shortest day of the year. The origination of this day is unknown but it is said to have originated because the people needed to cheer up when daylight is in shortest supply. Families gather and enjoy a festive day of special foods. Red bean gruel with rice balls is the traditional food eaten on this day. Children are told that they must eat as many rice balls as the age they will become on the next New Year's day.  Top

Christmas December 25

Christmas is celebrated in much the same manner as in the United States. It is observed as an official holiday in South Korea. Christmas activities are usually centered around the church. These may include Christmas Eve services, carol-singing, pageant-plays, gift giving, and dinner parties. Like Christmas in the United States, it is a day of family gatherings and merry making.  Top

Paegil, Hundredth Day the hundredth day of a chil'ís birth.

This is a celebration of a child surviving one hundred days of life. In other words a birthday celebration held one hundred days after a childís birth. Before the feasting begins, an offering of soup and rice is made to the birth grandmother. Once again rice cakes are an integral part of this occasion. It is sent to as many people as possible to share the happiness of the occasion and the recipients return the containers with rice or money symbolizing wealth or thread or yarn symbolizing longevity.  Top

Tol, First Birthday

A larger feast is held on the childís first birthday. The child is dressed in traditional Korean attire, where the highlight of the celebration is a ritual where the child foretells his future. It is believed that the first object picked up by the child, a table of objects: a writing brush or book, will be a scholar; money or rice, will be wealthy; an arrow or dagger, a military officer; and thread, symbolizing long life. The arriving guests usually give gifts of clothes, money, or gold rings to the child.  Top

Hwan-gap, Sixtieth Birthday

Sixtieth birthday symbolizes a great importance to the longevity of life. Before modern medicine existed, it was a great rarity to live even up to fifty years. The sixtieth birthday is significant for it marks the completion of the full cycle of sixty years. This is a time when family and friends gather together in traditional Korean dress and honor the recipient. The recipient and their spouse sit at a table laden with special foods and receive bows (churl) from all their children and grandchildren and their spouses, in order by age. Hwan-gap is a time of celebration and enjoyment of the recipientís longevity of life. Top