Posted by Ginny
Samjilnal (삼질날) is known as one of those special occasions that fall under the category of seshi pungsok (세시풍속). Seshi pungsok (세시풍속) is a term used to describe festivals that are celebrated with the change in seasons. Samjilnal (삼질날) is considered an auspicious day because it’s celebrated on the third day of the third month (March). The number three is designated a lucky number. The number three is considered a umyang (음양) number, which is considered a positive number.
Samjilnal (삼질날) is now an almost obsolete festival. You really only see it celebrated in the countryside. To usher in the springtime, people play a game called hwajun nori (화전노리). Hwajun nori (화전노리) is a game where you have to pick fresh azaleas called jindalle (진달래) and mix it with glutinous rice with a frying pan called bulchul (벌철). Whoever makes the best flower cake wins. You can’t cheat by buying the cakes at the store, so you have to have mad cooking skills to win this!
The typical drink on samjilnal (삼질날) is hwache (화채). Hwache (화채) is a Korean fruit punch made from azalea petals, mung bean starch, honey and water. (Notice a pattern here…azaleas). There’s no alcohol in hwache (화채). It’s simply a cold refreshing drink. Some people have allergies to azaleas and flowers in general, so they don’t drink hwache (화채). Instead, they’ll drink omijacha (오미자차), which is a tea made from wild berries.
I’m sure everyone is busy, but just remember to take a little time to enjoy the coming of spring. Once spring is here, it goes by so fast, and you don’t want to regret not enjoying at least a little of it.
Posted by Ginny
Musumnal (머슴날) is a quaint, rural festival celebrated the first of every February. Musum (머슴) means servant or farm hand, while nal (날) means day. Altogether musumnal (머슴날) means the ‘festival of servants.’ This festival is celebrated on Jeju Island (제주). On this day a shamanistic rite called yungdunggui (영등구이) is performed. The rite is named after a fairy tale sea goddess named Yungdungsin (영등신). A shaman will perform a dance in an effort to ensure an abundance of fish and to pray for the safe return of the fisherman at sea.
Sometimes, on the same day, a rite called muhongut (무혼굿) is performed. Not to creep anyone out, muhongut (무혼굿) is a rite to guide the spirits of the dead safely to the afterlife. This rite is specifically held for those who have drowned at sea. Countless people have died on the shores of Jeju Island (제주도). Sometimes the bodies are retrievable and sometimes they are lost at sea. In order to appease the anguished souls who have died without a proper burial, the shamans pray for the deceased person’s spirit to go to the afterlife in peace.
On this day, people will also dress in traditional Korean clothes. The clothes are white and made of cotton. In the old days, only the nobles could wear brightly colored clothes. Servants and people of the lower class were required to wear plain white clothes. You’ll see a parade of people walking in white clothes to commemorate the people of the lower classes; who were often laborers, farmers and fishermen. Many of the people of Jeju Island (제주도) have ancestors who were of the working classes, and so musumnal (머슴날) is a day to pay respect to all the toil and hard work of the working class.
On that note, I just want to thank everyone for reading my posts and keeping up with this blog despite all the busy things you have to do!
Posted by Ginny
Deborum (대보름) is an up-coming festival celebrated on the fifteenth of January. This festival is based on the lunar calendar and means ‘great full moon.’ The locals believe that the first full moon appears on the fifteenth of January. Like many Korean festivals, there are always traditional activities that highlight the festival.
For example there is the tradition of cracking nuts with your teeth called borum (보름). It’s thought that cracking nuts with your teeth will create a healthy set of teeth for the coming year. The origins for this tradition is unclear. However, this tradition goes back to the time when dental care was not widespread in Korea. It may have been a way to deal with unhealthy teeth. Also, nuts are a good source of nutrition and many peasants who lacked protein could stock up on it with this tradition.
There’s also the tradition called orum (오름) on deborum (대보름). Orum (오름) is an activity where a mass of people try to climb the highest mountain peak in their local village. The first person to reach the top and see the full moon is the person who will have the most luck in the coming year.
The highlight of the festival is an activity called jwi-bul-nori (쥐볼놀이). Jwi-bul-nori (쥐볼놀이) is an activity where used cans are poked with holes and stuffed with dry grass. The cans are lighted and children whirl the cans around a field of crops. The ash from the dry grass in the cans fertilize the fields. This game is a pyro maniac’s dream. The fires are quite big and spread far into the fields. Jwi-bul-nori (쥐볼놀이) serves two purposes. One of the purposes happen to be practical. Through a game-like fashion, jwi-bul-nori (쥐볼놀이) completes an important part of the agricultural cycle. The second purpose is more entertaining. The fires caused by jwi-bul-nori (쥐볼놀이) are beautiful. They are jaw-dropping.
Here’s what I mean by the deborum (대보름) festival being a arsonist’s paradise:
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Posted by Ginny
Hi everyone! This is the first post for 2009! Todays is Sul nal (설날) or New Years Day in Korea. The typical phrase you’ll hear is sehe bok mani baduseyo (새해 복 많이 받으세요). Let’s break this phrase down so that we can understand this quirky greeting. Sehe (새해) means ‘new year.’ Bok (복) means ‘luck.’ Mani (많이) means ‘a lot.’ Baduseyo (받으세요) means ‘receive.’ Altogether if you translate this literally it means, ‘Receive a lot of luck for the New Year,’ or ‘Good luck for the New Year.’
New Years Day is called Sul (설) in Korean. Korean children follow a tradition called sebe jul (새배절) on the morning of New Years Day. Sebe jul (새배절) is a type of bow where you stand up and prostrate yourself with your forehead nearly touching the floor. Technically speaking you don’t have to be a child to perform a sebe jul (새배절). You could be forty years old and still perform this ritual; especially if your parents are still alive. The sebe jul (새배절) tradition goes way back in Korean history. It’s supposed to be a sign of respect towards the elderly.
When children perform the bow, parents and grandparents will give their children and grandchildren some allowance money called sebe don (새배돈). Sebe don (새배돈) is usually handed out until the child reaches high school or college. Adults, especially if they work, will usually give their parents sebe don (새배돈). So here, the cycle is reversed and the young takes care of the old.
On sul (설), it’s also customary for Korean people to wear a hanbok (한복) or a traditional Korean outfit. As you can see, the New Year is a time where Koreans practice many traditional rituals. It’s also a time that many people spend with their families. I’ll talk more about this in later posts. For now, sehe bok mani baduseyo (새해 복 많이 받으세요) or Happy New Year.
Posted by Ginny
What is sung-tan-jul (성탄절)? Sung-tan-jul (성탄절) is Christmas in Korean. As you know, some South Koreans celebrate Christmas. However, the story’s different for North Korea. Christianity is seen as a doctrine imported by the West. As a result, the North Korean government views Christmas and anything associated with the West with suspicion.
Although there are a few churches in North Korea, (four to be exact) the activities of the church are monitored very closely. The churches basically operate on the whim of the North Korean government. If the government is displeased with the church in any way, it can arrest and imprison any of its members. Imprisonment can lead to death for any of the church members. The work camps in North Korea are infamous for its torture tactics. Out of fear, North Koreans celebrate Christmas in secret.
To be honest, not many North Koreans know about Christmas. The press is tightly controlled and scrutinized by the North Korean government. Therefore, anything postive about the West, including Christmas, is censored by the North Korean press. If the North Korean people saw how happy and charitable people were on Christmas, and how beautiful the streets are decorated, capitalism would seem like a positive thing. That would threaten the North Korean agenda.
So this Christmas in North Korea, there will no christmas trees, no lights that line the streets of Pyongyang (평양) the capital of North Korea. The only thing that will light up the streets of Pyongyang (평양) is the Juche Tower (주체상탑). The Juche Tower (주체상탑) was made to commemorate the life of Kim Il Jong (김일정), the former dictator of North Korea. What the tower really symbolizes is oppression and the wholesale denial of humanity. So for all those North Koreans this year and for everyone reading this, Merry Christmas (메리 크리스마스).
