Korea's Four Traditional Holidays and Their Meaning
The four major holidays in Korea are Seollal, Chuseok, Jeongwol Daeboreum, and Dano. Among these, Seollal and Chuseok are the most significant, serving as important times for strengthening family bonds and showing respect for ancestors. These holidays showcase the depth of Korean culture and traditions, with each festival deeply rooted in the lives of Koreans.
Traditional Korean holidays play an essential role in aligning life's rhythm with the changing seasons and achieving harmony between nature and humanity. They are times for expressing love and respect among family members and paying homage to ancestors, forming one of the core elements of Korean culture. These holidays are passed down through generations, offering opportunities to reaffirm Korean identity and cultural values.
Seollal (Lunar New Year)
Seollal is one of the most important traditional holidays in Korea, celebrating the first day of the lunar new year. Families gather to perform ancestral rites called Charye, pay respects to elders through Sebae, and exchange well-wishes. Visiting ancestral graves for ancestral worship, known as Seongmyo, is also a common practice on this day. Special food prepared for Seollal includes Tteokguk, symbolizing the addition of a year to one's age. Seollal is a time for strengthening family ties and wishing for the peace and prosperity of the coming year.
Seollal holds a very special meaning for Koreans, a precious time spent visiting hometowns, enjoying delicious food, playing traditional games, and resting with family.
Jeongwol Daeboreum (First Full Moon)
Jeongwol Daeboreum is a holiday on the 15th day of the first lunar month, celebrated with various traditional folk games and customs to start the year healthily and prosperously. On Jeongwol Daeboreum, people enjoy various foods and games with their families, wishing for health and happiness.
Jeongwol Daeboreum plays a vital role in understanding Korea's history and culture and is celebrated and enjoyed by many as a festival.
Dano (Spring Festival)
Dano is a festival that occurs at the beginning of summer, marked by various folk games and customs to promote health and drive away evil spirits. This day is considered to have the strongest yang energy of the year, and has been celebrated with various events and customs since ancient times.
Traditions include washing hair in iris water, making and gifting fans, and nationwide folk games like wrestling and Ganggangsullae, a time for community unity and health wishes.
Dano marks the beginning of early summer, a time for celebrating the end of rice planting and wishing for a bountiful harvest, an important part of Korean culture's beauty and depth.
Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)
Chuseok, one of the four major holidays in Korea, falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. It signifies the middle of autumn and the full moon, also known as Hangawi, Gawi, or Jungchuseok, and is considered the nation's biggest festival.
Chuseok, similar to the Thanksgiving harvest festival in Western cultures, is a time when families and relatives gather to visit ancestral graves for Seongmyo, perform Charye, and spend time together. In Korea's agrarian past, Chuseok was celebrated to give thanks for the spring and summer harvests and to pray for a bountiful autumn harvest.
During Chuseok, people offer sacrifices to their ancestors, perform Seongmyo, and enjoy foods like Songpyeon, fresh fruits, and Toranguk. Special foods like Songpyeon are made and eaten with family, sharing gratitude. Various traditional games are also enjoyed during Chuseok, including Ganggangsullae, wrestling, tug-of-war, and performing Charye.
Chuseok is an important time for celebrating a bountiful harvest, forming love and empathy among family members.
The Korean Lunar Calendar
The Korean lunar calendar is based on the moon's phases, differing in structure from the solar (Gregorian) calendar. It is a traditional calendar used throughout East Asia for centuries. The lunar calendar has a 12-month structure, with each month approximately 29.5 days long, making the lunar year about 11 days shorter than the solar year.
In Korea, the lunar calendar is primarily used for traditional holidays, anniversaries, family birthdays, and memorial services. Holidays like Seollal (Lunar January 1st), Chuseok (Lunar August 15th), Dano (Lunar May 5th), and Jeongwol Daeboreum (Lunar January 15th) all follow the lunar calendar.
These holidays play a crucial role in Korean culture and traditions, times for families to gather, uphold customs, and honor ancestors. In modern Korea, both the lunar and Gregorian calendars are used, showcasing the coexistence of tradition and modernity. While many Koreans use the Gregorian calendar for daily life, traditional festivals and family events often follow the lunar calendar.
This harmony between the lunar and Gregorian calendars reflects the diversity and depth of Korean culture and history. The Korean lunar calendar is more than just a way of marking time; it's a crucial element deeply rooted in the life, culture, and traditions of Koreans.
Through the lunar calendar, Koreans connect with the wisdom and traditions of their ancestors, strengthen family bonds, and cherish the cycles and harmony of nature.
Significance of Traditional Holidays
These traditional holidays are significant times that interweave Korea's history, culture, and traditions, maintaining their meaning and value even in modern times. Through traditional holidays, Koreans strengthen family bonds, pay respect to ancestors, and reflect on the changing seasons and the value of nature.
