Dano (단오)

Dano is the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, and is also called the Suri day or the Chunjungjul. The origin of Dano is said to go back to ancient China during the days of King Hwe and the Cho Dynasty. A subject named Gulwon, after falling into the traps of the treacherous, commits suicide at Myuklasu to demonstrate his faithfulness. This took place on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. Since then, memorial services for Gulwon have taken place every year. This custom conveyed to Korea to become Dano.

Costoms

Washing one’s hair with Changpo water
In traditional societies, women cut the roots of Changpo and made them into hairpins to prevent headaches. This custom, also called Danojang, included washing one’s hair in Changpo-boiled water to add extra shine on hair.

Marriage under the Jujube Tree
As a method for praying for an abundant year of farmhouse production, people stuck rocks between the roots of a jujube tree. This tradition is called Marriage under the Jujube Tree.

Wrestling and Swing Jump
Swing jump is a popular game between women during Dano. On the other hand, Korean style wrestling, also known as Ssireum, is very popular with men. As a custom, the winner of the Ssireum competition is awarded with a bull.

Dietary Customs

Suritteok and Yaktteok are the major dishes for the Dano season. Mugwort leaves are cooked and put into non-glutinous rice and kneaded together to make a green and cartwheel shaped Suri rice cake. Yaktteok are rice cakes that are made with various weeds and can be found in the South Jeolla Province. During the Dano season where cherries flourish, many people enjoy cherry punch and children eat fried rice and corn for snacks. In addition, memorial services implemented this day are decorated with newly made mugwort rice cakes.

Honghwamilsu

Ssukgaen-tteok

Sangchu-tteok

Charoksusu Siru-tteok

Jehotang

Tteoksudan

Omigalsu

Aengduhwachae

Maesilcha

Dalgal-tteok

Aengdukeik

Hwajeon

Gwapyeon

Maejakgwa

Ssam-tteok

Gaksaekpyeon

Surichwijeolpyeon

Yeondubukkumi

Gochi-tteok

 

Sawolchopail 사월초파일

This day is the birthday of Seokgamoni, and is also called “Buddha’s Birthday” or “the day Buddha came.” Although Buddha’s birthday is originally an event for Buddhists, its ceremonies have become embedded in mainstream Korean customs.

Customs

The most typical custom of this day is the merrymaking at the lantern festival. Many people also call this day the Lantern Festival Day. Before the arrival of Choopa-il (the 8th day of the 4th lunar month) households and temples prepare various lanterns. In the case of households, lanterns are made according to the number of people in the family. During the evening of Choopa-il, these lanterns are lit. In addition people attach fireworks on the strings of these lanterns to add extra fun. Fireworks are also attached onto scarecrows on strings, so that they shake from the wind.

Dietary Customs

Jjintteok
Jjintteok are bubble-shaped rice cakes that are steamed in alcohol after being kneaded with glutinous rice powder. Honey or sugar is mixed with red bean paste and put in to the bubble. A jujube is added for extra taste and decoration.

Hwajeon
Hwajeon are round rice cakes that are kneaded with glutinous rice powder and fried with azalea flowers attached on top.

Eochae
Eochae is a dish that is mixed with fish, leaf from a Rose of Sharon, green onions, manna lichen, abalone, and eggs all sliced lightly. This dish is often eaten with thick red pepper soy paste or sesame oil.

Eomandu
Eomandu is a dish where fish are emptied and then refilled with meat then boiled.

Minariganghoe
Japanese parsley is cooked and with pepper, garlic, and onion then mixed into raw fish. Once this is dipped in red paste, minariganghoe is ready.

 

Samjinnal 삼짇날

The 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month is called Samjinnal. Samjil is the archaic word, and is also written as Sangsa, wonsa, Jungsam, sangjae, and dapchingchul in Chinese characters. Samjinnal implies the overlapping of Sam (three). According to Choi Namseon, samjil was derived from the consonants of Samil, and Sangsa is defined as the first snake day of the 3rd lunar month.

Customs

Samjinnal is the festive day that informs the arrival of spring. This day is known as the day the swallows came back from Gangnam and the day the snake came out from its winter sleep. It is also the day birds and butterflies start to appear. This day, in the North Gyeongsang region, seeing a snake signifies good luck, seeing a white butterfly means death that year, and seeing a yellow butterfly implies fortune. They say soybean paste brewed this day tastes especially good and houses are repaired. By conducting farm frugality, people pray for abundance.

Dietary Customs

During Samjinnal, people pick out azalea flowers and knead it with glutinous rice dough to make Hwajeon, a Korean traditional rice cake. Mung bean powder is used to make mung bean noodles, and is also occasionally used with the azalea flowers. By dyeing the mung bean powder with red water, a seasonal dish called Sumyeon can be prepared. Other than this, white bubble rice cakes made with red bean paste called Santteok, Goritteok made from glutinous rice, pine endodermis and mugwort, and Ssuktteok made from glutinous rice and mugwort leaves are eaten this day.

 

Jeoungwol Daeboreum 정월 대보름날

Jeoungwol is the month that starts off the New Year. During this period, people plan the year ahead of them and read their fortunes for the year. The Lunar Jeoungwol fortnight, meaning the biggest boreum, is at the 15th of the first lunar month.

Customs

Dongje
Although there are differences within rural communities, joint proposals designate midnight of the 15th of first lunar month as the date to celebrate Dongje. Households prepare memorial service fees by collecting funds and selecting a chaste individual to be the official at rites to pray for abundant productivity and for the peace of the village.

Juldarigi 
Juldarigi, also known as Tug of War, is a game that is played to pray for abundant productivity. Also called Juldarigi, Juldarigi is a traditional game that has been passed down from generation to generation. After making the Amjul and the Sutjul, which symbolizes the two sexes, teams are formed by village or district. According to tradition, the Amjul must win to have a year of abundance.

Jisinbalgi
Jisinbalgi is another tradition to pray for abundance. A group with musical instruments visits each house to pray for a year of abundance.

Buseureom
Buseureom is a personal ceremony where people wake up early on Daeboreum day and chew on chestnuts, walnuts, and peanuts to ask for a year without boils. Also during this day, people call on each other and say ‘buy my heat.’ It is believed that by doing this, people will not suffer from heat that year.

Dalmaji
Dalmji implies climbing up a high place early in the evening to watch the moon. They say that luck will follow the person who sees the moon first. People also tell their fortunes for the year by watching the shape, size, height, and surge of the moon.

Dietary Customs

During Jeongwol Daeboreum, people eat Ogokbap with dry herbs. The tradition is that after preparing potherbs (braken, chwinamul, chamnamul, muknamul, dried pumpkin, mushiregi, torandae) during the spring, summer, and winter, people attain energy by eating ogokbap with dry herbs on Jeongwol; the day that starts off the New Year. 

Doraji

Daraesun

Pimaja

Hobakgoji

Gaji

Gochunip

                                

Sigeumchi

Honnip

Kongnamul

Naengi

Gosari

Muugoji

Sukju

Chwinamul

Musiraegi

Gogumasun

Gobi

Torandae