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Agricultural Rite
선농제 ( 先農祭 , Seonnongje )
Seonnongje (Kor. 선농제, Chin. 先農祭, agricultural rite) was a rite paying homage to the two agricultural gods who were derived from ancient Chinese mythology, Shennong (Kor. 신농, Chin. 神農) and Houji (Kor. 후직, Chin. 后稷). The ritual was aimed at ensuring a good farming year and was conducted on an official governmental level. Seonnongje also was referred to as gyeongjeongnye (Kor. 경적례, Chin. 耕籍禮, lit. ceremony of cultivating the royal field) or jeokjeonnye (Kor. 적전례, Chin. 籍田禮, lit. ceremony at the roy
Korean Seasonal Customs -
Chilmeoridang Exorcism of Jeju Island
제주칠머리당굿 ( 济州祈幕里堂巫祭 , Jeju Chilmeori Danggut )
The exorcism rite Jeju Chilmeori Danggut, originating on Jeju Island, is held every year on the first and fourteenth days of the second lunar month, at a shrine named Chilmeori, located in Geonip-dong, Jeju. Chilmeoridang (Kor. 칠머리당) is a community shrine where the village’s guardian deity is worshipped. Such shrines are found in every village of Jeju island and are commonly known as bonhyangdang (Kor. 본향당), but this particular shrine derives its name from the name of the village where it is loc
Korean Seasonal Customs -
Day of Awakening from Hibernation
경칩 ( 驚蟄 , Gyeongchip )
The Gyeongchip (Kor. 경칩, Chin. 驚蟄, Day of Awakening from Hibernation), also known as Gyechip (Kor. 계칩, Chin. 啓蟄), is the third of the twenty-four solar terms and occurs on the 74th day after the winter solstice at which time the sun is at the ecliptic longitutde of 345 degrees. Gyeongchip falls on approximately March fifth on Gregorian calendar. When living things in the northern hemisphere awaken from their hibernation in early March, the continental anticyclone weakens, and the Korean peninsul
Korean Seasonal Customs -
Day of Watching Small Stars
좀생이날 ( 昴星日 , Jomsaenginal )
On the sixth day of the second lunar month, people in traditional Korea used to watch a group of small stars in the western sky and, based on their observations, tried to predict the outcome of harvest for the year ahead. The name of the day, jomsaenginal (Kor. 좀생이날), is a compound of the words jomsaengi (Kor. 좀생이) and nal (Kor.날). The former is used to designate the group of stars in the western sky, and the latter stands for “day.” The term jomsaengi and its variations, jomseong (Kor. 좀성) and
Korean Seasonal Customs -
Eating Age Cakes
나이떡먹기 ( 吃增岁糕 , Naitteok Meokgi )
Naitteok Meokgi (lit. eating age cakes) refers to a widespread custom of eating rice cakes naitteok (Kor. 나이떡, lit. age cakes), corresponding to one’s age, on the first day of the second lunar month (Iwol Choharu, Kor. 이월초하루). The rice cakes cooked for the occasion are steamed on a layer of pine needles and are called songpyeon (Kor.송편) or songbyeong (Kor.송병), which is reflected in the other names for these cakes such as nai songpyeon (Kor. 나이송편, lit. age songpyeon), soltteok (Kor. 솔떡, lit. pine
Korean Seasonal Customs -
Goblin Rite
영감놀이 ( 令監 , Yeonggam Nori )
Yeonggam nori (Kor. 영감놀이) is an exorcism rite of Jeju Island that is associated with Korean goblins, dokkaebi (Kor. 도깨비). The rite was designated in 1971 as Intangible Cultural Treasure No. 2 of Jeju Province. In Jeju dialect, dokkaebi is pronounced as dochaebi (Kor. 도채비), but in shamanic rites the goblins are referred to as chambong (Kor. 참봉) or, more often, as yeonggam (Kor. 영감). Both words are, in fact, honorific titles, meaning “lord.” Preparation for the ritual includes making a small straw
Korean Seasonal Customs -
Raft Race
약마희 ( 躍馬戱 , Yangmahui )
Yangmahui (Kor. 약마희, Chin. 躍馬戱) is a raft race, held as a part of the Yeongdeung rites on Jeju Island. Each household in a village would build its own raft and send it out to sea. The rafts were believed to take the Yeongdeung god back to heaven and thus the fastest raft was declared the winner. Today, the custom of sending off the Yeongdeung God to heaven is maintained in a simplified form: villagers build only one small raft with straw, load it with offerings, and attach it to a motorized fish
Korean Seasonal Customs -
Spring Equinox
춘분 ( 春分 , Chunbun )
The Chunbun (Kor. 춘분, Chin. 春分, Spring Equinox), the fourth of the twenty-four solar terms, follows Gyeongchip (Kor. 경칩, Chin, 驚蟄, Day of Awakening from Hibernation) and precedes Cheongmyeong (Kor. 청명, Chin. 淸明, Day of Pure Brightness). It always occurs in the second lunar month and corresponds to the period around March twenty-first on the Gregorian calendar. On this day the sun, on its northbound path, crosses the celestial equator, i.e. the ecliptic meets with the equator. In the traditional
Korean Seasonal Customs -
The First Day of the Second Lunar Month
이월 초하루 ( Iwol Choharu )
The first day of the second lunar month (Iwol Choharu, Kor. 이월 초하루) was traditionally celebrated as a holiday. This holiday is also known as Meoseumnal (Kor. 머슴날), Nobiil (Kor. 노비일), Adeurennal (Kor. 아드렛날) and Hariadeurennal (Kor. 하리아드렛날), all meaning “Slaves’/Servants’ Day”. The festivity was originally referred to as Junghwajeol (Kor. 중화절, Chin. 中和節), named after measurement sticks (referred to as junghwacheok, Kor. 중화척, Chin. 中和尺), which the king used to bestow upon his servants on this day i
Korean Seasonal Customs -
Wind God Festival
영등제 ( 灵登祭 , Yeongdeungje )
On the first day of the second lunar month rural communities in traditional Korea held a worship service to celebrate the descent of Grandma Yeongdeung to the human world. This day was referred to as Yeongdeungnal (Kor. 영등날, lit. Wind God’s Day), and the whole month as Yeongdeungdal (Kor. 영등달, lit. Yeongdeung Month). Since Grandma Yeongdeung was the deity in charge of the wind, the celebration could also be called “wind god festival”, or Pungsinje (Kor. 풍신제, Chin. 風神祭). Yet another name fo
Korean Seasonal Customs
