Born February 29th Four years later - but really

Korea is often referred to as the land of traditions. From a very early age, children are taught here to certain rules of behavior that will accompany them all their lives. Eating healthy food, honoring ancestors, knowing the Hangul alphabet to perfection and wearing the national dress Handbok for all holidays in Korea - these and other indestructible customs have existed for hundreds of years and will remain in the life of Koreans for more than one century, given how strictly they are respected by all the inhabitants of the country.

The country fell apart, but the holidays are preserved

Once upon a time, Korea was a single state, but after the Second World War, the country's territory was divided into two political zones - northern and southern. Subsequently, the northern zone was transformed into the independent Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and the southern one into the Republic of Korea. If it turned out to be quite simple to divide the territories, then it turned out to be impossible to separate the national holidays of Korea, which have been developing for more than one decade. In both states, they still continue to celebrate dates that were once common, uniting and uniting the nation.

So, the celebration of the New Year remains unchanged - the main event, which is not afraid of any political strife. fun and interesting is the main task of every inhabitant of our planet, and Koreans are no exception.

On the night of January 1, Koreans gather with their families and friends to spend the old year, leave troubles and misfortunes in it and enter the new one with the hope of prosperity and prosperity. As in other countries, the squares here are decorated with elegant Christmas trees and garlands, joyful bustle reigns in shopping centers, and traditional Santa Clauses walk along the streets.

If all over the world the morning of the first of January means the end of the main celebrations, then for the Koreans, all the most interesting is yet to come. According to the lunar calendar, Koreans celebrate the transition to the new year in February. Sollal - this is the name of the main festival for every inhabitant of the state.

It is customary to celebrate Sollal within the strict framework of ancient traditions: in each house, a ritual sacrifice to ancestors is held, ritual tables with national dishes are set, each congratulation is necessarily accompanied by deep bows demonstrating respect and love for relatives.

How are significant events celebrated in South Korea?

There are not so many official holidays in South Korea: only nine. That is why the inhabitants of the country treat each significant date with special trepidation, looking forward to it and carefully preparing for it. South Korea's spring holidays begin with the country's Independence Movement Day. At the beginning of March 1919, a declaration of independence was published, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in defense of it. During demonstrations and mass rallies, more than 47,000 Koreans were killed by the Japanese police. Descendants honor the memory of their fallen ancestors and celebrate this important date every year.

In April, the entire country takes to the streets to take part in special greening and tree planting events. April 5th is known as Tree Planting Day in Korea.. The restoration of Korean forests is one of the most important national tasks, and every citizen considers it his duty to go outside on this day and plant a few seedlings.

In May, the inhabitants of the country celebrate two significant events: on the 5th - Children's Day, and on the 12th - the birthday of Buddha. So that the Koreans could pray to the Buddha and thank him for his help, the authorities of the country declared May 12 a day off. Folk festivals, festive processions, streets decorated with colorful lanterns - this is how Koreans pay respect to their deity.

Summer in South Korea is marked by two holidays: Day of Remembrance for those killed in the Korean War and Proclamation of the Constitution Day. The beginning of autumn is a time that all the inhabitants of the country are looking forward to with great impatience. On the 15th of the 8th lunar month, Chuseok is celebrated - a harvest festival and gratitude to the soil for its generosity.

Holidays in the Land of Morning Calm

North Korea is often referred to as the "Land of the Morning Calm" or the "Land of the Morning Calm". Almost all significant events in this country are political in nature, with the possible exception of the New Year. All other holidays in North Korea, one way or another, are connected with the ideas of patriotism and communism - the main guidelines for the state's course.

February 16 marks the birthday of Comrade Kim Jong Il, a military, party and statesman who has ruled the country for 17 years. April 15 is another important date - the day of the Sun, the day when the "eternal president" Comrade Kim Il Sung was born.

In the holiday calendar of North Korea, the names of these two legendary leaders appear very often: their birthdays, death anniversaries, the dates when Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung headed the state, and so on are celebrated.

If these important names do not appear in the name of the holiday, then Koreans celebrate the Day of the formation of the army, the Day of the foundation of the Labor Party or the Day of the Nation. The country is almost completely isolated from the outside world, so it’s hard to say whether the people of North Korea like this order of things or not: all citizens are brought up in the spirit of strict patriotism and love for the Motherland, and personal life issues fade into the background when it comes to Fatherland and its interests.

Holidays and events in South Korea 2019: the most important festivals and highlights, national holidays and events in South Korea. Photos and videos, descriptions, reviews and times.

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Koreans celebrate the New Year twice: the usual New Year's Day according to the solar calendar is celebrated here quite quietly and modestly, with family and friends. But the New Year according to the lunar calendar can be safely called the longest and very important holiday in South Korea. For 15 days, stormy New Year's festivities and celebrations, masquerade balls and costumed parades are held throughout the country.

On New Year's Eve itself, according to the lunar calendar, it is customary to prepare a rich dinner, full of a huge number of different dishes: tradition says that on this night, not only the inhabitants of the house sit down at the table, but also the spirits of their deceased relatives.

Spring is a time of awakening of nature, so most of the spring holidays and festivals in South Korea are nature-themed. In March, the city of Gwangyang hosts the Plum Festival, when different varieties of these trees are in full bloom. Island in April Jeju becomes an ideal place for all lovers: during the Cherry Blossom Festival, they can walk on the flower petals under these beautiful trees, thereby blessing their family life.

Koreans celebrate Buddha's birthday in May. On this day, it is customary to visit temples and pray. Many cities become places of wild celebration, the streets are filled with colorful crowds of marching people, and houses and temples are decorated with colorful lotus-shaped lanterns.

One of the largest and most interesting festivals in Korea is the Busan Sea Festival, which takes place on the territory of all city beaches in the first half of August and annually attracts more than ten million guests from all over the world.

Summer in South Korea is replete with a wide variety of festivals. Car connoisseurs should definitely visit the Seoul Auto Show in July, where they can see the latest trends in car production. Boryeong hosts the Clay Festival in July, with a fun frenzy of mud fights.

One of the largest and most interesting festivals in Korea is the Sea Festival in Busan, which takes place on the territory of all city beaches in the first half of August and annually attracts more than ten million guests from all over the world. The festival program is full of many events: concerts, exhibitions and sports competitions, plus each guest of the festival can learn how to canoe or scuba dive for free. The opening ceremony of the festival deserves no less attention: it gathers all the famous Korean performers, and at the end, fireworks are launched on the beach.

The national art of cooking is another important part of the country's culture. In October, the city of Namdo hosts the most delicious Korean festival: the Big Food Festival, during which the most famous chefs from the Jeolla province prepare amazingly delicious and no less beautiful traditional dishes of South Korea. Culinary masters at work are a beautiful and inspiring sight, and trying their national dishes is an incomparable pleasure for any gourmet.

The International Fireworks Festival held in October in South Korea is considered a unique event in the cultural life of South Korea. Seoul, spectacular and brilliant. World-class masters in the field of pyrotechnics create an absolutely amazing atmosphere from air and light, colors and lights. Spectacular fireworks and a laser show await guests of the festival.

Therefore, the opportunity to relax is even less. And that is probably why many South Koreans are eager to take advantage of every chance for recreation and entertainment. In addition, there was a real struggle for some holidays here ... So Koreans really appreciate the opportunity to walk and enjoy life. So, let's go in order.

New Year and Christmas in Korea

In Korea, Christmas is a Catholic holiday celebrated on December 25th. Came along with the Gregorian New Year to South Korea along with European culture and its influence. Local residents also celebrate the New Year according to the eastern, lunar calendar every year, and there is no fixed date here, the difference from one and the second year can be very significant and reach, for example, 10 days or even more.

The New Year according to the Eastern calendar continues to be celebrated as a tribute to national traditions. Celebrated in February. Different cultural values ​​and contexts are noticeable in different approaches to these holidays, in organizational aspects, in how and with what they decorate the streets, what gifts they give and to whom, what symbols they use.

Christmas in South Korea is celebrated by about 30% of the population, it is precisely this number of local residents here who are Catholics, or rather, Christians, but Catholics are the majority of them.

And since it's hard not to be absorbed by the atmosphere of a certain holiday, when a third of the country celebrates something, in the end it turns out that everyone celebrates something in one way or another. But in general, Christmas in South Korea has acquired a slightly surprising color, in fact, here it is the second Valentine's Day, when lovers give each other different gifts, invite them on a date. Not a very sophisticated person, such an environment can even amaze.

Preparing for the classic New Year in South Korea is not the way many are used to. There is no mass character, queues, a huge number of people running before the holiday. Still, psychologically, most of the population considers the New Year to be a classic, oriental holiday, which is reflected in the approach to organization. But at the same time, people here are not averse to congratulating their Western colleagues, partners, and just having fun: why not? And, of course, tourist centers and different complexes arrange different shows, performances, fairs, in general, they try to please tourists to the maximum.

The Lunar New Year (Zeul) is celebrated in many different ways, both in the family circle and very pompously on the streets. But in general, Koreans try to keep traditions. The morning begins with a solemn breakfast, this is the morning of a new day, the first day of the new year according to this calendar. National dishes are served, always snacks, most were prepared the day before, of course, there is kimchi, South Korea is proud of this product, lotus root, anchovies, in general, it is quite difficult to imagine a festive feast without seafood at all. Enough and all kinds of herbs, plants, for example, the bell root for a European person sounds very exotic.

Also on this day is held a very many different rituals associated with the veneration of the elders. For example, from the very early morning, everyone participates in the ritual of tsar - this is a kind of sacrifice to the dead ancestors, which is expressed in the fact that they need to set the table. Moreover, there are a lot of rules about how exactly this should be done, where which dish should stand, in what order different dishes will be placed on the table, and so on. The main trouble falls to women, since it is believed that only the fair sex should prepare such a sacrifice.

Next comes the worship of living older relatives. It takes place in the literal sense of the word: the younger members of the family bow to the elders, no matter how old you are now, that is, adult men of 50 years old will bow to their living parents, aunts, uncles ... And most of all bows, of course, the youngest in the family . But on the other hand, the older one gives money to the younger one, the more, respectively, relatives, the more significant gift you can get. In general, this is a very interesting and unusual holiday, which is curious and original in its own way.

And, of course, these days the streets are decorated, various processions, parades take place, all kinds of events and fireworks are held, in general, everything looks very beautiful. But still, in the morning, every Korean should be with his family ...

In general, very large families gather, sometimes several dozen people. Very often, relatives meet where they were born, meet their parents, cook a lot of food, bring gifts.

And everything is celebrated for 3 days, this is the longest weekend for the whole year.

Buddha's birthday

One of the rather large Korean holidays, since in South Korea 25% of the population are Buddhists. This religious celebration takes place on the 8th day of the 4th month of the lunar calendar, that is, each year is calculated separately. Everything is decorated with bright lanterns, everywhere you can literally find Buddha figurines, often recognizable music sounds, which is difficult to confuse with anything else.

Koreans visit Korean temples, there are festive processions with very picturesque lanterns in the form of a lotus. Often the surroundings of monasteries and pagodas are literally hung, as a result there is no free space left, but everything looks very colorful, especially at night when it glows. Often monasteries arrange charity dinners with tea and ritual dishes, all visitors are invited there. In general, the atmosphere is very calm and friendly.

Chuseok or Chuseok

The mention of this holiday will slightly break the chronology, but it will be justified from the point of view of significance, because it is necessary to tell about it, moreover, in detail. Firstly, This is the second most important holiday in South Korea., which is held in honor of the harvest, is the main autumn celebration. It is also celebrated for three days, however, in this case rather unofficially, since the government has not yet agreed to give as many as two holidays a year for three days off, but residents are fighting for their rights and are ready to ensure that they are given rest on the official level. In the meantime, only one day is legal, but most take time off or just a weekend at their own expense, in general, they come up with something.

Secondly, this is a celebration that is expected, if not the whole year, then about half - for sure. They prepare for it very carefully, like the Lunar New Year, This holiday is also very family friendly., so many Koreans go home to their parents. Such movements are due to the fact that young people are now actively striving from the provinces to big cities, to Seoul, to the capital and to other large settlements, someone is studying or working, or even combining everything together abroad. But in Chuseok, he definitely returns home to spend time with his family.

And since now about half of the population is not where they were born, then the return does not pass without adventures. Therefore, Chuseok is called the day of the great migration, since about half of the inhabitants are on the roads. Few people have enough money to buy plane tickets, besides, the places on them are limited, and they don’t go to the villages anyway. So sooner or later everyone finds themselves on terribly clogged roads, where traffic jams are simply incredible.

But when someone who wants to get somewhere still finds himself at a holiday, then a very rich program awaits him. For example, they sing and dance here, decorate the village with various lanterns and offer everyone, especially city dwellers who have come off the skill and ability to do something with their hands, to make handicrafts. You can practice calligraphy or make a flashlight, Koreans incredibly love to decorate everything around them, without exception, from simple trees to temples. Of course, it is difficult to imagine a real oriental holiday without a kite, so you will definitely see it here. Or you can try your hand and make your own. In principle, to visit Chuseok and not learn at least something is very difficult, original master classes are held at every corner.

You can also admire the competitions or take part in them, take pictures in beautiful historical costumes ... By the way, tourists, unlike the Koreans themselves, do not need to go to the village to see all this with their own eyes. They can simply head to the artfully crafted imitation in the heart of Seoul. Everything is so colorfully conveyed, as far as one can imagine, and the fact that everyone can join this, pleases separately.

Seoul Lantern Festival

Speaking of holidays, it is impossible to say about traditional festivals, for example, there is one, relatively new, dedicated to lanterns. It is held in the heart of Seoul. The festival has been held every November since 2009, but many tourists have already begun to associate with this beautiful city.

Lanterns are lit from 17:00 and burn until 23:05.

There are a lot of people here, but at the same time, thanks to the volunteers, there is no pandemonium and crush. Only about a kilometer of the area is illuminated. There are various competitions, competitions and just interesting events. For example, you can make your own paper lantern or take a picture of what is there - there are an incredible number of photographers here, it seems that they are in some kind of Mecca. In general, tourists are highly advised to get here.

Winter Fishing Festival in Hwangchong

It also bears the name of the ice or mountain trout fishing holiday. It is one of the most famous events of its kind, not least due to the constant records that are set on it. So, not very long ago the whole world spread the news that 300 thousand people gathered on one lake! It is noteworthy that this territory is located near the border with North Korea, and it is really very close here, but this does not bother anyone: it is here that the lakes freeze the very first in winter, and the holiday is held at the beginning of winter.

What are people doing here? Catch trout, generally try to catch as many fish as possible, there are contests: who caught the most in quantity (pieces), fastest (pulled out the very first fish), most in weight, whose individual fish weighed more than the rest, and so on. Since the rules do not stipulate a specific method, some especially cunning Koreans, without waiting until they are given a hook and line, dive into the hole and fish with their teeth! True, tents are set up on the banks, there are mobile trailers with good heating, so that frostbite does not threaten anyone, but still it makes a strong impression.

In general, before the start of the holiday, the organizers drill up to 14 thousand holes, but this, as you might guess, is catastrophically small.

A separate fight goes for the holes. Those who wish are offered to find a free place, if possible, to drill their own hole or settle down with someone's permission. Some enterprising individuals even then sell or rent them out - by the hour. All in all, it's really fun.

sea ​​mud festival

A very unusual event that takes place every year in July in Koren. Initially, it was invented as a means to draw attention to the use of healing cosmetics containing local beneficial mud. But the entertainment potential of this event was gradually revealed.

It turned out that most just like to swim in the mud, and women's wrestling is especially popular. However, for children and for the elderly, there are also entertainment for every taste.