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Beginning of Grain Ripening
소만 ( 小滿 , Soman )
The eighth of the twenty-four solar terms, Soman (Kor. 소만, Chin. 小滿, Beginning of Grain Ripening) is around May twenty-first on the Gregorian calendar and occurs during the fourth lunar month. The sun is positioned at 60 degrees on the ecliptic. Falling between Ipha (Kor. 입하, Chin. 立夏, Beginning of Summer) and Mangjong (Kor. 망종, Chin. 芒種, Bearded Grain, the barley harvest season), Soman marks a period during which the increasing sun hours promote the growth of all living things and fill the eart
Korean Seasonal Customs -
Beginning of Summer
입하 ( 立夏 , Ipha )
The seventh of the twenty-four solar terms, Ipha (Kor. 입하, Chin. 立夏, Beginning of Summer) is in the fourth lunar month and falls approximately on May sixth on the Gregorian calendar. On Ipha the sun is at 45 degrees on the ecliptic. Preceded by Gogu (Kor. 곡우, Chin. 穀雨, Grain Rain) and followed by Soman (Kor. 소만, Chin. 小滿, Beginning of Grain Ripening), it is considered the official gateway of summer. Ipha is also known as Maengnyang (Kor. 맥량, Chin. 麥凉) or Maekchu (Kor. 맥추, Chin. 麥秋), which means
Korean Seasonal Customs -
Cold Platter with Dropwort-wrapped Appetizers
미나리강회 ( 水芹菜卷脍 , Minari Ganghoe )
Minari Gaghoe (Kor. 미나리강회) is a holiday dish consumed on Shakyamuni’s Birthday. It is prepared by tying around parboiled dropwort stems and leaves thinly-sliced omelet, boiled meet, stir-fried beef or mushrooms. The bundled appetizers are eaten by dipping them in a hot and sour chili pepper dip. Minari ganghoe is similar to other cold platter dishes using parboiled stringy vegetables such as scallions tied around the bite-size meat or vegetable pieces. Pa ganghoe (Kor. 파강회), for example, is prep
Korean Seasonal Customs -
Elm Cake
느티떡 ( 榉叶糕 , Neutitteok )
Neutitteok (Kor. 느티떡) is a special treat eaten on Shakyamuni’s Birthday (the eighth of the fourth lunar month). It is prepared by mixing tender spring elm leaves with rice flour, sprinkling the dough with crushed red beans, and cooking it inside a steamer. To make rice flour for elm cake, the rice is soaked in water overnight and drained and lightly salted before being milled into fine flour. A small amount of water is added in the flour and a crumbly dough is made by mixing flour and water toge
Korean Seasonal Customs -
Fund-raising Performance with a Flag
호기놀이 ( 呼旗- , Hogi Nori )
Hogi (Kor. 호기, Chin. 呼旗) is a fund-raising activity carried out by children in anticipation of Shakyamuni’s Birthday, designed to raise money for the Lantern Festival. Days before Shakyamuni’s Birthday, village children would gather to create paper flags and drums made from fish skin. Children beat these drums and marched around the town carrying a long pole with a paper flag at the top at the head of this procession. As they marched, they would loudly solicit donations. Rice and hemp collected
Korean Seasonal Customs -
Lantern Festival
관등놀이 ( 觀燈- , Gwandeung Nori )
Gwandeung nori (Kor. 관등놀이, Chin. 觀燈-) refers collectively to all festive events, games, and performances involving lanterns held in celebration of Shakyamuni’s Birthday in traditional Korea. The historical origins of gwandeung nori can be found in Palgwanhoe (Kor. 팔관회, Chin. 八關會, lit. Festival of the Eight Vows) or Jeongwol Yeondeunghoe (Kor. 정월연등회, Chin. 正月燃燈會, Lantern Festival of the First Lunar Month) of the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392). Introduced from China, lantern festivals were slowly integ
Korean Seasonal Customs -
Lantern Ritual
연등회 ( 燃燈會 , Yeondeunghoe )
Yeondeunghoe (Kor. 연등회, Chin. 燃燈會) is a tradition related to the celebration of Shakyamuni’s birth and refers to the hanging and lighting of paper lanterns outside homes, in temples and along streets. This practice is widespread in all Buddhist countries. In Buddhism lanterns are an important symbol of Buddha’s wisdom enlightening the world. Lanterns were used to worship Shakyamuni even during his lifetime. The practice of using lanterns in the context of a worship service originates from India
Korean Seasonal Customs -
Monk Manseok Shadowplay
만석중놀이 ( 万石僧戏 , Manseokjung Nori )
Manseokjung nori (Kor. 만석중놀이, lit. monk Manseok play) refers to one type of the shadow-plays performed on Shakyamuni’s Birthday on the eighth of the fourth lunar month. It is known by alternative homonymic names that differ from each other only by the Sino-Korean character used to confer the sound for the syllable “man/mang.” Some examples of such names include manseok nori (만석(萬石)중놀이), mangseok nori (망석(忘釋)중놀이), mangseokjung nori (망석(亡釋)중놀이), manseok suengmu (만석승무(曼碩僧舞)) and mangseokjungi nori
Korean Seasonal Customs -
Shakyamuni’s Birthday
초파일 ( 初八日 , Chopail )
Chopail (Kor. 초파일, Chin. 初八日) is the Birthday of Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism. The day can is referred to as Bucheonim Osinnal (Kor. 부처님 오신 날, Buddha’s Advent Day), Bultanil (Kor. 불탄일, Chin. 佛誕日, Buddha’s Birthday), Yokburil (Kor. 욕불일, Chin. 浴佛日, Buddha Bathing Day) and Seoktanil (Kor. 석탄일, Chin. 釋誕日, Day of Shakyamuni’s Birth). The most common name of this day, Sawol Chopail (Kor. 사월 초파일), meaning “the eighth of the fourth lunar month”, is also the date on which the holiday is celebrated
Korean Seasonal Customs
