Korean holidays: description, history and traditions. Korean wedding

Family way

In the past, in traditional Korean society, 3-4 generations lived together in one family. However, as Korea experienced rapid industrialization and urbanization in the 1960s and 70s, as well as child birth restrictions, the country's culture began to change, and since the 1980s, it has rarely been possible to have more than two children in one Korean family. In Korean society, Confucian traditions have been preserved to this day, according to which preference is given to the eldest son. To combat gender discrimination, the government passed a law making son and daughter equal heirs in the division of property. Young married couples now mostly live apart from their parents.

Names

Most Koreans have surnames, the most common of which are: Kim (approximately 21% of all Koreans), Lee (14%), Park (8%), Choi (or Choi), Jeon, Chan, Im, etc. Korean name consists of a surname, as a rule, it is always one syllable, and a given name, usually two syllables following the name (but it happens that the name also consists of one syllable). Women who marry do not take the husband's surname, but the children will take the father's surname.

Marriage

Koreans consider marriage the most important stage in a person's life, and they are extremely negative about divorce, as a manifestation of disrespect not only for each other, but also for parents, although, despite this, the number of divorces has recently been growing at a rapid pace.

Chere (rite of commemoration of ancestors)

According to Korean belief, the soul of a person does not leave immediately after his death, but remains with his descendants for another four generations. All this time, the deceased person is still considered a member of the family, and the Koreans hold a special ceremony in honor of him Chere on Seollal - the new year according to the Eastern calendar, Chuseok - the Korean Thanksgiving Day, and also on the day of the anniversary of death. Koreans also believe that their life here in this world can be happy and prosperous only if their ancestors bless them.

Language of the body

When you call a person to you, put your palm down and wave it, moving all your fingers. Never call anyone with your palm up, and even more so with one finger - this is how Koreans call dogs.

Ondol

Traditional Korean rooms are very versatile. They have no special purpose; the same room, for example, can be both a bedroom and a dining room, etc. Almost all Koreans sit and eat on the floor, and therefore simply bring a mattress or dining table into the room as needed.
The floor, as a rule, is stone or concrete, and hot air is specially blown under it to heat the room. Clay or cement can serve as the top layer, protecting people from harmful gases. This method of heating is called "ondol" (literally from Korean: "hot stone").
Currently, hot water circulates under the floor, and the floor itself is usually covered with linoleum.

Korean cuisine

Korean cuisine is famous for the wide variety of dishes and foods used in them. In ancient times, Korea was an agricultural country, which mainly grew rice, which served as the main food of the population. Currently, in Korean cuisine, along with greens and vegetables, various types of meat and fish are used. Korean foods such as kimchi (sauerkraut), jeotgal (salted shellfish, fish or shrimp), and twenjang (soybean paste) are famous for their specific flavor and high nutritional value.
The most distinctive feature of the Korean table is that all dishes are served at the same time. Traditionally, the number of snacks has varied from 3 for the poor to 12 for members of the royal family. Table setting changes depending on what is served on the table: noodles or a meat dish. The formal rules of table setting show the attention paid by Koreans to food and the process of eating. Compared to neighboring China and Japan, the spoon is more commonly used in Korea, especially when soups are served.

Kimjang is the time of preparing kimchi for the winter, a special way, the secrets of which are passed down from generation to generation. Since vegetables hardly grow in Korea in winter, Kimjang is held in late autumn, supplying Koreans with their main food, kimchi, for the whole winter, as Koreans simply cannot imagine a table without it.

National clothes (hanbok)

Hanbok has been a traditional Korean garment for thousands of years. All its beauty and grace can be seen in the photographs of women dressed in hanbok. Hanbok was a daily wear in Korea before the arrival of Western style to the country about a hundred years ago. Men wore "chogori" (jackets) along with "paji" (pants), and women wore "chogori" with "chima" (skirt). These days, hanbok is worn for holidays such as Seollal (Oriental New Year), Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) or weddings.

traditional korean house

The traditional Korean house is called "hanok". When building such a house, a place is selected in which a person can coexist with nature. Therefore, the natural conditions of a traditional Korean home include from the interior structure to the building materials used. Another unique feature of traditional houses is their special layout, which allows the house to be cooled in summer and heated in winter. Hot summers and cold winters led to the invention of the ondol gudeul floor heating system and the taecheon ventilated terrace. Thanks to such inventions, Koreans could endure the cold of winter and sweltering, humid summers. Such simple heating and air conditioning systems are so efficient that they are used in many homes even today.

The cultural component of a particular country is a very serious subject for study, especially before traveling. Each nation has its own traditions and customs, its own prohibitions and beliefs. The same gesture in different countries can be interpreted in completely different ways, and if you can put up with comical situations, no one will tolerate insults from visitors. If you are planning to spend your vacation in, it's time to get to know its culture.

Fundamentals of South Korean culture

In 1948, one large state of Korea was divided into the DPRK and the Republic of Korea. After that, the culture of each country began to develop in different ways, but they have the same origins and roots. In particular, the behavior of society is based on the principles of Confucianism, which were developed back in China, in 500 BC.

Koreans instill in their children love and respect for parents, family and those in power from a young age. Great importance is attached to such concepts as justice, honesty, humanism, peace and education. In the modern culture of South Korea, on this basis, a model of behavior has developed, called the Rule of Five Relationships. In particular, it provides for certain norms in communication between father and son, husband and wife, older and younger generations, ruler and subject, between friends.

Tourists who come to rest in this country often fall out of this pattern of behavior. Therefore, sometimes it seems that Koreans are rude and ignorant. In fact, until you enter into one of the types of relationships, you may simply not be noticed.

It is because of the Rule of Five Relationships that Koreans can sometimes ask somewhat uncomfortable and personal questions. But if a local resident is interested in your marital status or age, do not rush to be rude in response - he is just trying to determine what rules to interact with you.

Separate manifestations of the culture of South Korea

Understanding the fundamental principles of building relationships between Koreans, it will be interesting to consider more specific manifestations of their behavior patterns. In particular, these are:

Respect for elders. In Korea, it is accepted that young people and those who are below in rank are obliged to follow the wishes and instructions of their elders without any objections.
attitude towards marriage. Koreans consider marriage to be the most important event in life. Divorce, on the contrary, is interpreted as a huge and indelible shame.
Names. Among residents of the CIS countries, it is a common practice for a wife to take her husband's surname. In South Korea, they adhere to other traditions - the spouse retains her last name, but their common children inherit the father's family name.
Public quarrels. Angry and offended women are everywhere. Such a mixture is especially explosive if such a woman is also elderly. In South Korea, there are quite often such types of grandmothers who can express their dissatisfaction not only verbally, but also physically. No matter how insulting it may be, you cannot react to it, even if you are provoked. It's best to just step aside.
Handshake. People who are equal in status to each other, or who are on friendly terms, use the form of a handshake that is familiar to everyone. But if one of them is lower in rank, or younger, then he is obliged to shake the outstretched hand with both hands. Quite often, the greeting is supplemented with a bow. The older and the higher the status of a person, the deeper they bow to him.
The boss is always right and cannot be denied. Surprisingly, this rule applies to almost all areas of life. You can't even refuse an offer to drink. Therefore, if the boss is an alcoholic, it is easier to change jobs than to give a refusal.

Traditions of South Korea

The culture and traditions of South Korea are closely intertwined, because one follows from another. However, with the passage of time and globalization moving by leaps and bounds, any open society is subject to one or another change. But there are fundamental beliefs that are honored at all times. In relation to South Korea, such traditions, customs and are especially distinguished:

Chere, or rite of remembrance of ancestors. According to Korean beliefs, after death, the soul of a person goes to another world only after a change of 4 generations. And throughout this period, he is a full member of the family, who, according to legend, takes care of and protects the whole family from bad weather.
Hanbok, or traditional clothing. It is in her that Koreans put on such solemn days as the Lunar New Year, Harvest Day, or the marriage ceremony.
In relation to marriage, Koreans have skillfully created a model that combines both modern trends and traditional rites. Today, the Korean wedding is divided into two parts: first, there is a ceremony in the Western European style, with a white dress, veil and tuxedo for the groom, and after the newlyweds put on traditional outfits and go to a special room for dinner with their parents.
Sollal, or Lunar New Year. This holiday is celebrated on the first day of the lunar calendar. It is customary to meet with the family, remembering the ancestors, preparing special dishes and dressing up in hanbok.
Chuseok, or Harvest Day. Koreans devote the fifteenth day of the eighth month according to the eastern calendar to the remembrance of their ancestors and gratitude to the gods for food.

Note to the tourist

In order not to get into trouble when communicating with a Korean, or not to incur the wrath of representatives of the order, a tourist in South Korea should remember a few rules:

Follow the gestures. Calling a person palm up or beckoning with a finger is considered offensive.
When entering a Korean home, one should take off one's shoes, but it is bad manners to walk on the floor without socks.
Public displays of affection between a couple, whether kissing or hugging, are considered indecent in Korean society, but the display of friendly relations is quite acceptable.
Smoking in public places is strictly prohibited, and the enforcement of this rule is closely monitored by the police.
You can’t pierce food with chopsticks and leave them directly on the plate, especially at a party - the hostess may take this as an insult.

The population of South Korea is more than 51 million people, of which the vast majority are Koreans. Only the Chinese minority has become a noticeable inclusion in the ethnic picture of Korea - according to the latest data, about 35 thousand people. Such a situation, unique for the modern world, in which an ethnos is equal to a state, has developed due to the special idea of the Koreans about the world: in it, the main thing for them is not citizenship, not the territory of residence, but belonging to their people.

However, there are prerequisites that soon the homogeneity of the population will be broken: Koreans are increasingly marrying foreign women, mainly Chinese, Vietnamese, and women from the Philippines. However, Europeans are unlikely to be able to distinguish between Koreans and Vietnamese, therefore, for many years to tourists and guests of South Korea, its inhabitants will seem surprisingly similar to each other, as if the whole state is a big family.

The peoples of South Korea

Koreans

Until recently, scientists could not answer the question of how and when the Koreans appeared. Only modern genetics and DNA research have solved the riddle: the Korean people come from the eastern environs of the Sayan and Baikal.

Today, Koreans speak their own language, their self-name is “hunguk saram”. A characteristic feature of Koreans is industriousness: work for them is more than a way to earn a living, a work team, a company is an extension of the family, often its most important part.

The hospitality of Koreans is very similar to Russian and Chinese: it is important for them to feed the guest, because the first question that you will hear in a Korean house or at a meeting is: “Are you hungry?” Another feature similar to us is the high consumption of alcohol, more than 9 liters per year for each person.

The ethnic characteristic of the Koreans was good singing ability, but poor dancing ability. What is the reason, scientists have not yet figured out. An important national trait is a propensity to learn: more than 93% of school students graduate from universities, which gives them good chances for a career and a prosperous life. In the world, South Korea ranks second in terms of the number of people who read regularly.

The most important Korean tradition is politeness. They say “thank you” and “hello” to everyone - the seller, courier, janitor, cleaner, etc. Koreans are very respectful of their elders, even if the difference is 1 year. Therefore, at the first meeting, they immediately find out how old you are and whether you are married / married. Marital status for a Korean is also a sign of adulthood: an unmarried man until old age will be considered a youth and ... a little "not in himself."

Chinese

"Huaqiao" is the name given to the Korean Chinese. Most of them are citizens of Taiwan, but live permanently, for many generations in South Korea. They even came up with a special term for them - "permanent foreigners." The Chinese arrived in South Korea in the 1940s during the Chinese Civil War. Many years have passed, but they do not become citizens of South Korea due to government policy. They are not allowed to serve in the army, hold government positions, they experience great difficulties in finding jobs in large companies. The predominant activity of the Korean Chinese is trade.

Life of Koreans

90% of Koreans are middle class. The country ranks 13th in terms of living standards in the world ranking: there is no pronounced division into rich and poor, the vast majority of people live in prosperity.

More than 80% of the townspeople live in "apats" - houses of the same type - comfortable high-rise buildings of 20 - 30 floors. Under the house there is a free parking lot, nearby there are playgrounds and sports grounds where the most frequent games are chokku (Korean football) and badminton. Each microdistrict has a tennis court, often a swimming pool.

Inside the houses there are always working elevators, in which a small bench is installed under the panel: for children. Children even in large cities often walk alone, because the level of danger in the country is extremely low: something like this was in the best years of the USSR.

Houses often do not have the number "4" - neither the fourth floor nor the fourth apartments, because "4" for Koreans is an unlucky number. But everywhere and in large numbers - video cameras. There are so many of them that you can safely leave bags, exercise equipment and anything in the courtyard of the house, in the entrance: it is unlikely that someone will encroach on someone else's property. And the reason for this is not only cameras, but traditions and upbringing.

In each apartment, a special device is installed on the ceiling in the kitchen to notify residents of important events and events. It is impossible to turn it off. Next to the "annunciator" is a fire safety device, which is mandatory for all premises in Korea.

The apartment begins with a tiny hallway, where it is customary to leave shoes and hats. The floor level in the hallway is 7 - 10 cm lower than the floor level in other rooms, so that dirt and dust enter the rooms less.

The kitchen is usually not separated from the main apartment in any way and is a standard kitchen set with cabinets, a sink, a hood, a stove, a washing machine, etc. All this is a common component of an apartment that the developer rents out, and therefore it is the same for everyone. Most often they buy refrigerators - a standard one and a refrigerator for kimchi - Korean "bread" made from vegetables (Chinese cabbage, radish, onion, cucumber, etc. Kimchi is called "bread" because Koreans eat it at every meal.

A typical Korean apartment has a bedroom - a small room that often doesn't even fit a bed: most Koreans sleep on the floor. When they wake up, they carefully fold the blanket and bedding into a corner. All this is possible thanks to the ondol system - a heated floor.

“Ondol” is a modernized thousand-year tradition of heating the house through the floor, an analogue of the Russian stove with a stove bench, in which the floor is the “bed”. In ancient times, chimneys under the floor were removed from the stove for its device, and today the smoke is replaced with ordinary water or electricity. Heating levels - 5, the owners themselves choose what temperature they need.

The warm floor largely determined the life of Koreans. They sleep on the floor, sit on the floor - have lunch, work, rest. The same thing happens in Korean restaurants, where diners take off their shoes in the "hallway" and sit on the floor at low tables.

Korean family

Traditionally, in a Korean family, a man is a breadwinner (earns money), a woman is a hostess and educator of children. Before the wedding, young people do not live together - this is not welcome, and they marry on average at 27 - 30 years old.

Korean families are very active. There it is not necessary to cook, wash, clean the house yourself: catering, dry cleaning, cleaning companies are very affordable. Therefore, families often spend weekends and hours after work hiking in parks, cinemas, theaters, and go on small trips.

Traditions and customs

One of the most ancient traditions of South Korea is the celebration of the Lunar New Year - Seolyal. The weekend lasts for three days, people dress up in hanbok - a traditional costume. For women, it consists of a chogori blouse, a chima skirt, and a jacket. For men - from chogori and paji pants. On the holiday, Koreans go to their relatives, to the seashore, congratulate each other.

Chuseok is another ancient holiday, which also relies on 3 days of rest. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month and is called the festival of harvest and commemoration of ancestors. On this day, Koreans go to cemeteries, decorate homes and yards with cereals, fly kites, and organize festivals of the national dance kankansulle. At the cemetery, Koreans bring the fruits of the new harvest, traditional and simply delicious dishes. If the cemetery is not far away, then it was customary for the table to be set at home, and the woman to carry it on her head to the grave.

A special date in the life of a Korean is the celebration of the first birthday - tol-chanchi. Many guests gather with gifts, a special ritual is held, which should determine the fate of a one-year-old baby. For girls, the holiday starts in the morning so that they get married quickly, for boys - from about 12 o'clock so that they do not get married early.

This holiday is part of the tradition of "four tables". The first two parents arrange for the child - the first birthday and wedding. The second two children arrange for their parents - the 60th anniversary and the funeral, commemoration. In ancient times, the absence of one table canceled all subsequent ones.

There are few public holidays in South Korea, these are:

Independence Day (March 1),
Constitution Day (July 17),
Liberation Day (August 15),
Day of the founding of the country (October 3),
Hangul Day - the national alphabet (October 9).

European culture is fundamentally different from Asian. This is manifested in absolutely all social and everyday nuances, so Asia is incredibly attractive for tourists from all over the world. Of particular great interest is the culture and customs of South Korea, which for a long time was in some isolation from the rest of the world. Today, Europeans find this country incredibly beautiful and original, so we decided to tell you the most interesting facts about the culture of the Koreans.

Korean culture: features

At the beginning of the article, I would like to clarify that the Koreans are an indivisible nation that has common traditions, religion and customs. But due to certain circumstances, the country was divided into parts and now represents two absolutely sovereign states - South and In cases where journalists or sociologists mention Korea, they mean exactly the state called South Korea. We will do the same. Moreover, the cultural heritage of both countries is identical.

South Korea: customs and traditions

Korean culture was formed under the influence of the Chinese and Mongolian people. This can be seen in some elements of the folk costume and musical preferences, surprisingly reminiscent of traditional Chinese chants. If you ever find yourself in Korea, you will be surprised how often music and songs are heard on the streets of cities. They accompany the life of an ordinary Korean from the moment of birth until death.

Religion has greatly influenced the cultural traditions of Korea. Initially, almost all Koreans were bright adherents of shamanism. Only with the arrival of the first Buddhist monks from China to these lands, a new religion began to spread throughout the country. It surprisingly quickly entered the life of Koreans and superimposed on their traditions. In addition, Buddhism gave a powerful impetus to the development of art. Traditional painting, for example, under the influence of a new religion, was enriched with previously unused styles and trends. Silk painting and paintings in the style of naturalism became popular.

In culture, a special place is occupied by the attitude towards the older generation. This tradition can be attributed to the Koreans. Among them, it is still customary to treat elders with great respect and carry out their words without reservation. Quite often, being among strangers, Koreans seek to find out their social status and age. It is from this that they are repelled, building a model of behavior in society.

like this?

Young Koreans respect the will of their parents above all and marry only after their blessing. Indeed, in Korea, divorce is considered a disgrace not only for two people, but also for their families. Now weddings are played mainly in two versions - traditional and Western. Thus, all secular laws and cultural traditions are respected. The most common clothing for any festive ceremonies is the Korean national costume hanbok. It causes admiration among Europeans because this clothing is a riot of colors and simplicity of lines, which together add up to an incredibly attractive image.

Korean folk costume: general characteristics

The costume, which is the national festive dress in Korea, is called hanbok. It has been preserved almost unchanged for several millennia. Korean has three main parts:

chogori;
chima;
open.

Chogori is an overshirt, chima is an A-line skirt, and otkoreum are wide and long ribbons that prevent the shirt from opening open and are a decorative element of the costume.

Korean male costume consists of the following elements:

chogori;
paji;

The top chogori shirt in a men's suit differs little from the women's, and paji pants are comfortable baggy trousers tied with two ribbons, which makes them almost universal. In the cold season, a kind of coat, pho, was put on the chogori.

Hanbok colors

In various catwalk photos, the Korean national costume appears to foreigners as something amazingly colorful. Koreans know how to combine bright and rich colors with each other to create unique looks. Usually two or three colors are used in one suit in unusual combinations. Often, chima and jeogori were decorated with gold foil embroidery, which was elevated to the rank of a special art in Korea.

The bright colors of the hanbok have always been reserved for noble Koreans. They had the right to use all sorts of colors, which often played an informational role when meeting with acquaintances. For example, only women with one son could wear deep blue.

Commoners were forbidden to use bright colors: their Korean national costume was replete with shades of gray and beige. The poor could afford some color variety - pink and green. But it has always had very pale shades, as opposed to the pure and rich colors of the aristocratic hanbok.

What material is the hanbok made from?

The Korean national costume was most often sewn from mixed cotton fabrics. They were worn well in the hot season; in other seasons, their silk clothes were common. But only the rich could afford such a variety. The main population of Korea wore hanbok made of plain cotton or hemp.

Women's hanbok details

It is worth noting that in the entire history of its existence, the folk costume has changed only its length and design elements. In general terms, he remained holistic, which speaks of his extreme convenience, which Koreans are proud of to this day. The outer shirt of the chogori has always been rather short, in the traditional version it reaches the waist. But over time, its length has changed significantly. For example, in the eighteenth century, the chogori turned into a kind of top that barely covered the chest. In some provinces, it even left the chest open, which indicated that the woman had children.

Chima also did not always have the shape of a bell today. Influenced by Mongolian and Chinese culture, the skirt began to expand towards the hips and narrow towards the legs from the seventeenth century. In the nineteenth century, this form of chima reached its maximum expansion and gradually began to take on a more traditional form. Now the skirt of the national costume begins just below the bust and expands to the floor. The ribbons of the otkoryum were originally very narrow, but over time they were made from a contrasting fabric color to the chogori to create an additional design element from them.

Hanbok: male costume

The hanbok for men hasn't changed much. Chogori and paji were often sewn from fabric different colors, which allowed creating unique combinations and combinations. In the men's suit, the chogori reaches mid-thigh and has a loose fit, in contrast to the fitted female version.

As outerwear, men often wore not only the already mentioned pho, but also magoja - and a detachable collar. It was customary to wear it over a chogori and not fasten it. This element of clothing came to Korean culture thanks to the Mongolian princesses. But a few years later, it became so fused with the traditional hanbok that to this day it is considered the main part of the national costume not only for men, but also for women.

Children's traditional clothes

The Korean national costume for girls and boys is not much different from adult models. Parents try to buy costumes of bright colors for their beloved children, which are worn not only on official public holidays, but also in a close family circle. It is also customary to wear hanbok for various festive events in kindergarten and school.

It is difficult to imagine at least one celebration in Korea that would have done without a national costume. He is loved by absolutely all Koreans without exception. And this is not surprising because, in addition to beauty, hanbok is distinguished by extraordinary convenience and practicality. Therefore, if you happen to visit South Korea, be sure to bring hanbok from there as a souvenir. With it, you can make an unforgettable impression at any party.

In the Republic of Korea, there are many national holidays that are loved and revered by the people of this country. The history of some began many centuries ago, while others - more recently. Each celebration has its own traditions and customs, which are observed with trepidation by the people of this magnificent country.

National Korean holidays and dates

The most important celebrations of the country are in autumn and winter. During all official holidays, the government provides the population with days off. But this happens if the celebration is state, and not religious.

Major holidays in Korea:

Chuseok - 14th, 15th, 16th days of the eighth lunar month.
Christmas - 25 December.
New Year and Seollal - January 1 and the first day of the lunar calendar.
Independence Movement Day - 1 March.
Memorial Day - 6 July.

Of all the celebrations in the country, the most important and revered are the Korean New Year and the Chuseok festival. Officially, they are considered weekends and last for three days. All this time, local residents arrange theatrical performances, performances and festivals, honor the traditions of the holidays and their customs. To get tourists to such national celebrations is considered a great success and joy.

harvest day

Chuseok is one of the most significant Korean holidays in October, which is celebrated on the day of the full moon. All residents of the country are looking forward to the autumn celebration in honor of the harvest and specially come to their parents' houses to meet it together. The Korean holiday Chuseok is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month and lasts for three days in total. At this celebration, people express their gratitude to the earth for its generosity.

All relatives and close people gather at the Korean harvest festival, they cook the national dishes of the country together. But the most important ritual on this significant day is visiting the graves of ancestors and singing them during the entire feast. Also at the autumn celebration, sacrifices and traditional round dances are arranged.

Older generations, unlike young people, treat the Korean harvest festival with special trepidation. They observe absolutely all of its traditions, even despite the fact that many centuries have passed since the founding of this celebration. So, many centuries ago on this day it was customary to put on a new hanbok (a festive outfit of Koreans), but the younger generation changed it to ordinary clothes.

National dishes on Chuseok and veneration of ancestors

All solemn events among the Korean people are held in compliance with the rules regarding the festive table. In addition to a variety of dishes prepared according to the preference of the hostess herself, fresh must be present at the bottom of the harvest. It can be fresh or aged for no more than one year.

It is also necessary to prepare rice cakes in advance. Koreans call them songpyeong and cook them with the whole family on the eve of the holiday. Sweet beans or sesame can be added to rice cakes. Jeon cakes are also considered mandatory for cooking. They are baked from rice dough with pieces of various fillings, seasoned with sesame seeds or legumes. There is no exact recipe for this dish, the ingredients may vary slightly in different parts of South Korea.

After the meal, Koreans without fail come to the graves of their ancestors, conduct ceremonies there, including the presentation of treats (sunmyu ritual). At the burial sites, people mow the grass and clear the area of debris.

Korean Christmas

This holiday is considered one of the most important in the Republic of Korea. Christmas is celebrated here on December 25th. It is because of this winter celebration that all streets, shops, houses and public places begin to be decorated with sparkling lights and bright posters. Christmas music plays everywhere, and cafes and restaurants are full of a variety of unusual dishes and drinks.

On the eve of this Korean holiday, a variety of festivals and theater performances are held in parks and city squares. Most often, people celebrate Christmas in the family circle, being at home. The main dish of the feast is a festive pie with a variety of fillings of meat, fish with spices and legumes.

New Year

As in China, this is celebrated twice a year: according to the solar and lunar calendars. Such celebrations immerse the country in a winter fairy tale thanks to their colorful performances. The Korean population celebrates the first New Year, like most other countries, on the first of January. And the traditional celebration of Seollal falls only in February. There, having visited the Republic of Korea during these two months, you can fully experience the whole atmosphere of the holiday of this country and admire its beauties.

They celebrate the New Year in this state not like in Russia, at night, but only at dawn, in the company of close and dear people. To keep the traditions, people go out on the roofs, verandas and balconies, go to the mountains and hills. The weather in Korea also contributes to this. Due to the rather warm climate in the country, New Year's celebrations are held without frost and strong winds.

Holiday features

The surprising thing is that Koreans start decorating the streets and houses from the beginning of December, almost a month before Christmas, and clean it all up only in February, after Seollal. For two and a half months, the atmosphere of a holiday, magic and a wonderful fairy tale reigns in the country, which anyone can get into.

For the celebration itself in Korea, according to tradition, the population launches numerous kites. Such an action can captivate any tourist with its beauty and singularity. Also, many traditional rice dishes are prepared for this Korean holiday. One of them is ttok. This is a Korean national sweet dessert that every guest should definitely eat, as, according to popular belief, such a delicacy attracts good luck and happiness.

National Celebration - Seollal

Korean New Year is officially celebrated by the locals for three days. But earlier the holiday lasted longer, from the new moon to the full moon, for a total of 15 days. Traditionally, the New Year celebration is celebrated in the family circle, with a variety of national dishes and drinks: Korean dumplings, rice wine, tteok. As well as porridge from five grain crops.

In addition, dried fish and fruits should be present on the festive table. On New Year's Eve, the house is decorated with images of a tiger and a chicken. According to popular beliefs, these animals attract well-being, happiness and scare away evil.

It is also customary to wear national clothes for the holiday and give gifts to loved ones, relatives, colleagues and acquaintances. The most common are money and products. You can give festive food and sweets.

Independence Movement Day

Samiljol is a public holiday celebrated in Korea on the first of March. It was on this day in 1919 that the country's independence from the occupation of Japan was proclaimed.

This holiday is celebrated by the whole country. The Korean people take to the squares with the flags of their state. Also on this holiday, concerts, theatrical performances are held, excursions to museums are organized, where outstanding personalities of that time and their biographies are shown.

Even on this significant day, the heroine of the country, Yu Gwang Sun, is honored. The girl fought to the last for the future of her country. She initiated uprisings against Japanese totalitarianism. The girl died in agony due to the torture of the invaders and was subsequently recognized as a national heroine. Yoo Gwang Soon was only 17 years old.

official day of remembrance

The national holiday of Korea is celebrated on June 6, in honor of the end of the Civil War in 1953. Remembrance Day received the status of an official celebration in 1970. At the holiday, Koreans remember the heroes who sacrificed their lives to save the Motherland.

On this memorable day at 10 am, a minute of silence is announced throughout the country in honor of all the dead civilians and soldiers. Flowers are laid on graves and monuments throughout the day - white chrysanthemums, as a sign of mourning. In Korea, concerts are held dedicated to war veterans, songs of those years are performed. Children put on theatrical skits on the subject of battles.

All national Korean holidays and traditions differ from each other in customs and rituals. But one thing remains unchanged in them - respect and reverence for their people. Local residents treat all the celebrations that are held in their country with special trepidation, carefully keep them and pass them on from generation to generation.

South Korea is famous for its special attitude towards the elderly and ancestors. Children and teenagers are taught love and respect for elders and national traditions from an early age. The Korean people are well-educated and respectful customs.