Holidays of Korea. Holidays in Korea National holidays in Korea

There are different holidays: national, religious, professional and international. But no matter what holiday it is, it brings joy to our home! Some are celebrated at the state level, some in a narrow circle. Both of them help bring closer together both the whole nation and a small group. Koreans love holidays, they love their country, so they celebrate them cheerfully and noisily. We offer you some especially significant holidays for Koreans.

New Year in South Korea is celebrated quite formally according to the solar calendar. Basically, everyone tries to use non-working days to meet with friends and relatives. In addition to decorated Christmas trees, Santa Clauses, and the bustle around stalls with New Year's cards and gifts, the streets delight the eye with posters, replaced during the holidays with " We all have to work hard"to wishes" More happiness in the new year"Some people go to the mountains, on the tops of which they meet the first sunrise of the New Year, others go to visit close friends and relatives.

New Year is the longest and most important holiday in the Chinese (Lunar) calendar. Festivals, festivities dedicated to this holiday in South Korea last 3 days. The New Year according to the lunar calendar is often called " Chinese"because its celebration spread throughout Asia, and later throughout the world, precisely from the Middle Kingdom. Moreover, in most countries celebrating this holiday, " Chinese"New Year is a public holiday and a joyful event for representatives of all nationalities and religions. New Year's dinner is the main New Year's tradition. Moreover, there should be as many dishes on the table as possible. A popular tradition is bowing to sunbaes, older relatives. On this day it is customary to eat tteokguk soup, which is a symbol of spiritual purity and longevity. It is believed that on the New Year, according to the lunar calendar, every person becomes a year older. According to tradition, on the festive night the spirits of ancestors are present at the table, who are full participants in the celebration. All subsequent days are usually visited with. congratulations from relatives and friends. Also during this period, traditional mass celebrations are held - costume dances and masquerade street processions.

Every year on March 1st South Korea Independence Movement Day (Samiljol) is celebrated to commemorate the declaration of independence from Japanese colonial rule and the official beginning of the passive resistance movement. In March 1919, the Declaration of Independence was published in Seoul. The declaration was signed by 33 patriots South Korea and read out in the park Pagoda(now Tapgol Park) Seoul. Throughout Korea There was a wave of demonstrations that demonstrated to the whole world the Koreans' desire for sovereignty.

Arbor Day (in Korean Sikmogil) was established in connection with the Park Jin Hee government's campaign to restore Korean forests. As we know, this campaign was extremely successful. Until 2005, this day was a public holiday in the country, but even now the traditions of celebration have been preserved. On this day, many residents South Korea take part in landscaping work in their areas and planting forests in the mountains. In non-leap years, Arbor Day coincides with one of the important Korean holidays - the Cold Food Festival, which in Korea called Hansik, which literally means " cold food"Nowadays, people celebrate Hansik, associating it with the invitation of warm weather that will melt the frozen earth. On the day of Hansik, from the very morning, Korean families visit the graves of their ancestors. Since Arbor Day is celebrated on the same day, cemeteries are filled with relatives and relatives , planting trees around the graves. In non-leap years, Hansik falls on the 105th day after the winter solstice. At this time of year, the sky becomes clearer and clearer, farmers go out to the fields to throw the first seeds into the ground and water the rice plots. Eating cold food on this day came from China, but recently the traditions described in the Chinese legend are gradually being forgotten.

The name of the holiday in Korean is: " Orini nal". This day became a public holiday in 1923 thanks to the public teacher Bang Jong-Hwan, who proposed to approve May 1 as Children's Day. Since 1946, the holiday began to be celebrated on May 5, and became a day off in 1975. Mass entertainment events are held in all cities and villages events, sports competitions, the heroes of which, of course, are children.

Buddha's Birthday (Seokgatansinil) is celebrated in some East Asian countries on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. In the Republic Korea this holiday became an official holiday in 1975. On this day, Koreans visit Buddhist temples to pray for health and good luck in life. Many cities host festive processions with colorful lotus-shaped lanterns. Buddhist temples are also decorated with such lanterns, allowing you to admire the colorful picture for a whole month. Lanterns are hung along the streets, covering almost all available space. On Buddha's Birthday, many temples host charity dinners and tea, to which all interested visitors are invited. Buddha's birthday is also officially celebrated in Macau and Hong Kong. But in Japan, which switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1873, Buddha's Birthday is celebrated on April 8 and is neither an official nor a major holiday.

Constitution Day in South Korea(Jeheonjeol / Constitution Day in South Korea) is celebrated annually on July 17 - this is the day the country's Constitution was proclaimed in 1948. Officially, Constitution Day was approved on October 1, 1949 after the law on public holidays of the country was introduced. First Republic South Korea was formally founded on August 18, 1948. Since 2008, Constitution Day is not a day off for workers and employees, although it is considered a holiday. There are no special events on this day except for official celebrations in Seoul and big cities South Korea, is not carried out. Also, over the years, marathon races held in different parts of the country have become traditional.
Story South Korea begins with the Soviet-American agreement in the late summer of 1945 on the division of spheres of influence on the peninsula. According to this agreement, part Korea south of the 38th parallel came under the jurisdiction of USA, the northern one is under the jurisdiction of the Soviet Union. The country's history alternated between periods of democratic and authoritarian governance. Since its founding South Korea has come a long way in the development of its education, economy and culture. In the 1960s, the country was one of the poorest in the region, while now it is a developed industrial state.

August 15, 1945 Korea freed itself from Japanese colonial rule, simultaneously gaining independence and establishing its own government. In the Republic Korea On this day, an official ceremony is held, and the national flag is hung on many buildings.

The autumn holiday of Chuseok - the day of the full moon - is a holiday that, probably, all residents of modern times look forward to with the greatest impatience. Korea. Chuseok is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. But to be more precise, Chuseok lasts three days - the first and third days of the festival are spent getting ready and on the road. The culmination of the holiday is the middle day - the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. September 10 is also a public holiday as a result of the holiday substitution system. The highways are filled with endless lines of cars, and almost all businesses and shops are closed for three days. Families gather together, pay tribute to deceased relatives and visit their graves. Everyone is eager to celebrate the Chuseok holiday in their native places. Bookings for plane and train tickets are usually made in advance several months before the holiday. Chuseok, along with Seollal, is one of the most important holidays of the year, a celebration of the harvest and gratitude to the earth for its bounty. People come to their parents' houses to spend this holiday together.

Every year on October 3rd South Korea One of the main public holidays is celebrated - National Foundation Day / Gaecheonjeol. This day is an official holiday in the country; the day when the national flag is raised. Founding Day is one of the 5 national holidays established by the National Holidays Act of 1949. The holiday was established in honor of the formation of the first state of the Korean nation in 2333 BC by the legendary god-king Dangun Wanggeom. Tangun was the son of a heavenly lord who turned into a bear woman and allegedly founded the state of Ancient Joseon (Gojoseon). On the day of the festival, a simple ceremony is performed at the altar at the top of Mani Mountain on Ganghwa-do Island. According to legend, this altar was placed there by Tangun himself as a sign of gratitude to his father and grandfather in heaven.

October 9 at South Korea Hangul Proclamation Day is celebrated. The original alphabet of the Korean language is called Hangul, and today they celebrate its creation and proclamation in the country by King Sejong the Great. King Sejong unveiled the publication of a document introducing the new alphabet in 1446 in the ninth month of the lunar calendar. In 1926, the Korean Alphabet Society (Hangul Society) celebrated the 480th anniversary of the declaration of the Korean alphabet on the last day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar, which coincides with November 4 of the Gregorian calendar. In 1931, the celebration was moved to October 29 according to the Gregorian calendar. In 1934, the date of the holiday was again moved to October 28 due to the fact that many claims were received, which noted that in 1446 the Julian calendar was in circulation. In 1940, the original source of the document was discovered, reporting that the new alphabet was announced during the first ten days of the ninth lunar month. The tenth day of the ninth lunar month in 1446 corresponded to October 9, 1446 according to the Julian calendar. In 1945 the government South Korea officially set the Korean Alphabet Proclamation Day to October 9. This day became a day off for government employees. The day lost its status as a public holiday in 1991, under pressure from a large number of employers who opposed increasing non-working days. However, Korean Alphabet Day still retains its status as a national holiday. The Korean Alphabet Society advocates for the revival of the celebration at the state level, but so far with insufficient persistence. As before, on Korean Literature Day, a variety of festive events are held dedicated to national culture and literature. Many overseas linguists and Korean language lovers also join in the festivities.

Christmas (성탄절) has become very popular due to the large number of Christians in the country. It is at this time that you can come to the country and plunge into the festive mood and maybe listen to several Korean versions of popular Christmas songs. Christmas is a national holiday in South Korea, as in many other countries. As for Christmas food, there is no turkey or ham, as is customary in the west. The most popular foods are kimchi and tteokguk (soup with tteok (chhapssal) - glutinous rice cakes), as well as tangerines and sweets.

Holidays are always fun, positive emotions, gifts and guests. However, in this article we will not talk about anniversaries and weddings, but about holidays that are celebrated in.

General information about Korean holidays

Some of the celebrations of this Asian state may be very surprising, while others may seem primitive and ordinary. Not all South Korean holidays give the people of the country the opportunity to take a break from everyday work. Many of us have heard that all Koreans are workaholics who work without normal vacations and days off, but this is not entirely true. If a holiday falls on a weekend, it is not rescheduled, as is often done in the countries of the former USSR.

So, all holidays in South Korea are divided into several types:

• official, this is when the citizens of the country celebrate and relax;
• unofficial, this is when a holiday is celebrated, but on a working day;
• modern ones, which are celebrated only by young people;
• traditional ones, which are remembered mainly only by people of the older generation.

National holidays in South Korea

Koreans celebrate holidays noisily and colorfully. This country is famous for its enchanting and vibrant festivals that take place throughout the year. It’s worth seeing with your own eyes, and you can even become a participant in beautiful and lively celebrations.

National holidays in South Korea include the following:

1. New Year celebrated on January 1st. Koreans try to celebrate it with special style, so that good luck and wealth will accompany it all year long. People have a tradition of going to parks or mountains and celebrating the first dawn of the new year there. They usually dress up in national clothes “hanbok”, but they also cannot do without eccentric outfits, masks and costumes. The streets begin to be decorated in mid-December, with lights flashing everywhere and festive music heard. One cannot do without the favorite pastime of Koreans – flying kites “yon”. The flow of tourists at this time is always huge, because there are always many people who want to celebrate the New Year in South Korea.
2. Seollal, or New Year according to the Chinese calendar. The Korean people live according to the Gregorian calendar, but some holidays are celebrated according to the lunar calendar. Seollal is very reminiscent of our family celebrations with gifts and treats. Chinese New Year is celebrated on different days each year due to the floating lunar schedule.
3. Independence Day Celebrated annually on March 1st. The holiday is associated with liberation from Japanese occupation. Official performances and mass celebrations are held.


4. Every year it is celebrated on the 8th day of the 4th month. Koreans pray in Buddhist prayers, asking for health and good luck in life. In most cities there are processions with bright colorful lotus lanterns, and the streets are also decorated. Many temples host tea and lunches, which are open to everyone.



5. celebrated on May 5th. Parents pamper their children with generous gifts and visit zoos and other places. This holiday was created for the whole family to have fun and spend time together.


6. Day of Remembrance or Devotion celebrated on June 6th. On this day, the memory of men and women who sacrificed their lives to save their homeland is honored. On June 6 at 10:00 every year, residents of the country hear the sound of a siren and observe a minute of silence to remember those killed in the Korean War. The national flag is always lowered on Remembrance Day. The most important and largest ceremony is held at the National Cemetery in. For this day, graves are always decorated with white chrysanthemums and Korean flags.


7. Independence and Liberation Day. If you still don’t know what holiday is celebrated on August 15 in South Korea, then remember - this is the most important and important Independence Day in the history of the country. In 1945, on August 15, the Japanese accepted their defeat in World War II and thus ended their 40-year occupation of Korea. This holiday became official 4 years later – October 1st. Official events are being held throughout the Republic with the participation of the country's leading officials. All cities are decorated with national flags, and amnesty is declared for prisoners. Korean Independence Day has its own song that is heard everywhere on this day. It is noteworthy that in North Korea they also celebrate it, but it is called Liberation Day of the Motherland.


8. They always celebrate October 3rd. The streets are always decorated with flags and many official events are held with top government officials.


9. is one of the most important holidays in Korea. It's a bit like Thanksgiving in America. It begins to be celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. The holiday has another name - Khankawi, which means “big mid-autumn”. Koreans hold rituals dedicated to the rich harvest and thank their ancestors for this.


10. celebrated on October 9. No other country in the world celebrates Writing Day on such a grand scale as it does in South Korea. Celebrations dedicated to writing, literature and literature take place throughout the country. In Seoul, exhibitions, concerts and a wide variety of events are held at the King Sejong Memorial Hall, Gwanghwamun Square, the History Museum and other places.


11. Christmas celebrated on December 25th. All cities are buried in Christmas trees and illuminations, Santas fill the streets and subways, even the President gives a congratulatory speech. Shops hold huge sales, and cafes offer a variety of treats. But for Koreans, this is not a family holiday: they can just go to the movies or go shopping with their significant other. It is interesting that many Buddhist temples also light Christmas trees as a symbol of the harmony of religions.

Festivals in South Korea

The Republic of Korea can be proud not only of wonderful holidays, but also of magnificent festivals. About 40 of them are held annually. Among all of them, the following, the most colorful, vibrant and interesting festivals, can be distinguished:

• horizon - in Gimja;
• traditional tea utensils - in Mungyeong;
• trout – in;
• sea ​​mud - in Boryeong;
• masked dance - in;
• lanterns - in Jinju on the Namgang River.

Korean youth prefer music festivals. Among them there are 2 most popular:

Tips for tourists

When planning a trip to South Korea, keep in mind that many businesses may be closed during the holidays, such as banks, museums, restaurants and shops. And tickets for planes, trains and buses are sold out in advance. On the eve of important holidays there are long traffic jams. During the Chuseok holiday, 50% surcharge for medicines and medical care will be charged.

Korea is often called the country of traditions. From a very early age, children here are taught certain rules of behavior that will accompany them throughout their lives. Eating healthy food, honoring ancestors, knowing the Hangul alphabet perfectly and wearing the national costume Handbok on all holidays in Korea - these and other inviolable customs have existed for hundreds of years and will remain in the lives of Koreans for many more centuries, given how strictly they are observed by all residents of the country.

The country fell apart, but the holidays remained

Korea was once a unified state, but after World War II, the country's territory was divided into two political zones - northern and southern. Subsequently, the northern zone became the independent Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and the southern zone became the Republic of Korea.

While it turned out to be quite simple to divide the territories, it turned out to be impossible to divide the national holidays of Korea, which took shape over many decades. Both countries still continue to celebrate dates that were once common, uniting and uniting the nation. Thus, 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 family 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, squares here are decorated with elegant Christmas trees and garlands, joyful bustle reigns in shopping centers, and traditional Santa Clauses walk the streets. If all over the world the morning of January 1st means the end of the main celebrations, then for Koreans the most interesting things are 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 resident of the state.

It is customary to celebrate Seollal within the strict framework of ancient traditions: in every home a ritual of 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 many official holidays in South Korea: only nine. That is why residents of the country treat every 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 Day. At the beginning of March 1919, the Declaration of Independence was published, in defense of which hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets.

During demonstrations and mass rallies, more than 47 thousand Koreans died at the hands of Japanese police. April 5th is called Tree Planting Day in Korea.. Restoring Korean forests is one of the most important national tasks, and every citizen considers it his duty to go out on this day and plant a few seedlings.

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

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

Holidays of the Land of Morning Freshness

North Korea is often called the "land of morning freshness" or "land of morning calm." Almost all significant events in this country are of a political nature, with the possible exception of the New Year. All other North Korean holidays are, in one way or another, connected with the ideas of patriotism and communism - the main guidelines of the state's course.

February 16 marks the birthday of Comrade Kim Jong Il, a military, party and statesman who 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 became leaders of the state are celebrated, and so on.

If these important names do not appear in the name of the holiday, it means that Koreans are celebrating the Day of the Formation of the Army, the Day of the Founding of the Workers' Party, or the Day of the Nation.

Many people consider Koreans to be workaholics, but despite this, South Korea also has holiday weekends. If we talk about Korean holidays, they are official and unofficial. Holidays that are celebrated at the state level are considered official. That is, Koreans celebrate holidays and do not work. Celebrations without a day off are considered unofficial.
Holidays in South Korea are also divided into traditional and modern. Traditional celebrations are celebrated by older people. And modern celebrations are preferred by young people. The only disadvantage of South Korean holidays is that if it falls on a weekend, it is not transferred to another date, as often happens in the CIS countries, for example.

Winter holidays

Christmas is considered the first big holiday of winter. It is celebrated on December 25th. According to statistics, only a third of the peninsula's population are believers. Despite this, Christmas is celebrated everywhere - December 25 is a day off. Korea, like Western countries, decorate shops, houses, and put up Christmas trees. But on the other hand, South Koreans understand Christmas celebrations in their own way. For them, this holiday is not a family holiday, as many are accustomed to believe.
The next holiday in line is New Year. But it does not have the special significance for the residents of the peninsula that residents of the CIS countries or Western countries attach to it. Still, Koreans carry out a special ritual to celebrate the old year. At night, people gather near the large bells and watch the Night Bell Vigil ceremony. Thirty-three strikes of the bell is a number that has traditionally been strengthened since the Joseon Dynasty, thus asking for goodness. Also on New Year's Eve, South Koreans have a tradition of celebrating the dawn.
Koreans celebrate their New Year, just like other Asian countries. Its exact date is not determined, as it varies depending on the lunar calendar. South Korean New Year is celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month. This holiday is also called Seollal. This celebration is a seminal one. The whole family gathers with the oldest member of the family to celebrate Sollal. Even to this day, many Koreans wear traditional costumes for the holiday.
Seollal basically consists of two parts. The first part is accompanied by a trip to the cemetery. Relatives bow to the deceased and bring food. The second part of the New Year consists of children bowing to the elders in the family. Children, bowing, receive blessings and instructions.

Spring celebrations

On March 1, 2017, South Koreans celebrate the Independence Day of South Korea, which was recognized as a public holiday only in 1949. And the Declaration of Independence from Japanese occupation was signed and read out on March 1, 1919.
In South Korea, the Laughter Festival is celebrated on April 1st. There are no days off, but both adults and schoolchildren take part in the drawings. The most active, of course, is the younger generation. Schoolchildren put on their uniforms backwards, put their desks on the floor, and lie down and listen to lectures from teachers.
On May 3, 2017, Buddha's birthday was celebrated. The date changes every year. The celebration takes place on the 8th day of the fourth month according to the lunar calendar. South Korean cities are decorated with lotus lanterns. A week before the holiday, various festivals are held, and services are held in churches.
Children's Day is celebrated on the fifth day of the third month of spring. The history of this holiday is quite interesting. The first fighter for children's rights was a children's writer - Pan Chung-hwana. He called for respect for children and their opinions, since children are the future of Korea. Now this holiday is an occasion for parents to spend time with their children. On May 5th, various children's entertainment centers are open. And on the 8th, Parents' Day is celebrated.

Summer celebrations

Officially, in South Korea, only three holidays are celebrated in the summer: Memorial Day, Constitution Day and Liberation Day.
The first of them in 2017 falls on June 6th. The meaning of the celebration is to remember those people who sacrificed their lives for the lives of others. The sixth of June is an official holiday and a day off. This holiday is accompanied by a memorial ceremony at the Seoul National Cemetery.
On the 17th day of the second summer month, South Koreans celebrate the Constitution Day. The proclamation took place back in 1948. It is not recognized as a holiday, so there are no special celebrations, although July 17 is officially considered a holiday in the country. The exception is the capital of the South Korean peninsula - Seoul, and some other large cities. They hold Constitution Day ceremonies. Small towns celebrate it without much celebration.
On August 15, 2017, Koreans celebrate liberation from Japanese occupation. The original name is Gwangbokcheol, translated as “celebration of the return of light.” At this time, cities are decorated with national symbols - flags, and various events are held with the participation of top officials of the state. The Liberation Festival is also celebrated by the northern brethren of Korea. In Gwangbokcheol, there is a tradition in which the government has the right to grant amnesty to some prisoners.

Autumn Holidays

Most autumn holidays fall in October, and end there.
The second of October this year is an official holiday. This decision was made by the South Korean authorities in order to combine the weekends that fell on September 30 and October 1, and the series of holidays that begins on October 3.
The third of October was marked by a holiday dedicated to the founding of the state. This day was officially approved as a solemn day back in 1949. At this time, the streets are covered with flags and no one is working. Shops, banks, cafes - everything is closed. On the Founding Day of the State, a solemn ceremony takes place at the altar of Mount Mani on Ganghwa-do Island. Legend has it that the altar was there for a reason. Tangun himself put it there to express his gratitude to his father and grandfather.
The next day, October 4th, we celebrate the New Year in the old way. Its rituals are similar to the celebration of Sollal. Koreans remember their ancestors, honor their elders, and bow to them. They make the famous mooncakes, whose Korean name is Seongsaeng. The New Year is celebrated for three days.

On the ninth, the Festival of Writing (Hangul Day) is celebrated. Probably no other country attaches such importance to writing as the Koreans do. Scientists have proven that the Korean alphabet is one of the most logical alphabets in the world. It will take a little time to learn all the letters.
Korean writing was invented by scientists back in the 15th century, on the orders of Sejong. The special date on which Koreans celebrate Hangul was officially established back in 1926. North Korea also has a similar holiday, but North Koreans celebrate it on January 15th.
October this year was marked by the longest weekend. It is worth considering that most establishments will not be open these days. And long traffic jams are expected on the roads. For a visiting tourist, this will seem unusual, so you need to know these points.