Korean National Holidays An overview of all National Holidays in South Korea

New Year's Day (January 1st) Referred to as Solar New Years by most Korean citizens. Lunar New Year (First Day of t e First !ont by t e "unar #alendar) $ne of t e most celebrated olidays in Korea (and east %sia). &isitin' family( wors i))in' ancestors( eatin' traditional Korean dis es and ta*in' )art in century old traditions all come to life durin' t is color national oliday. Korean Independence Day (!arc 1st) Koreans obser+e t e anni+ersary of t e !arc 1( 1,1, -nde)endence !o+ement a'ainst Ja)anese rule. Arbor Day (%)ril .t ) $n t is day( 'o+ernment officials( teac ers( sc ool c ildren and t ousands of Koreans t rou' out t e country )lant trees in accordance wit t e 'o+ernment/s reforestation )ro'ram. Note0 Not all Korean sc ools +iew %rbor Day as a true national oliday. hildren's Day (!ay .t )1 is is t e day t at Korean )arents s)oil t eir c ildren wit 'ifts( treats( 'ames and tri)s to t eme )ar*s( zoo2s and ot er )rominent area2s t at are of interest to youn'er c ildren. !udhha's !irthday (3i' t Day of t e Fourt !ont by t e "unar #alendar) Solemn rituals are eld at 4udd ist tem)les( and t e day/s festi+ities are clima5ed by a number of famous lantern )arades across t e country. "e#orial Day (June 6t ) $n t is day t e nation )ays tribute to its war dead. !emorial ser+ices are eld at t e National #emetery in Seoul. onstitution Day (July 17t ) 1 is day commemorates t e ado)tion of t e Re)ublic of Korea #onstitution in 1,89. Note0 %s of :;;9 #onstitution Day is no lon'er a Korean national oliday. Korea will continue to celebrate t is day but 'o+ernment offices( sc ools and )ri+ate businesses will remain o)en. Liberation Day (%u'ust 1.t ) -n 1,8.( Korea was liberated from Ja)an after <. years of colonial rule. 1 e day also mar*s t e 1,89 establis ment of t e 'o+ernment of t e Re)ublic of Korea. Harvest "oon $estival = a.*.a Korean %han&s 'ivin( (18t t rou' t e 16t of t e 3i' t !ont of t e "unar #alendar) 1 e most im)ortant national oliday of t e year. Durin' t ese < days Korean2s 'at er wit family members to onor t eir deceased ancestors( clean off t eir ancestors tombs( 'i+e food and drin* offerin's( and )ray. National $oundation Day ($ctober <rd) 1 is day mar*s t e foundin' of Korea by 1an>'un (?od> Kin') in :<<< 4.#. Korean2s celebrate o+er 8;;; years of istory durin' t is oliday. hrist#as Day (December :.t ) # ristians and ot er citizens celebrate t is oly day as in t e @est.

Holidays

Korean New Years

1 ere are actually two Korean New Years. 1 is is because Koreans 'o by two calendersA one bein' t e same )eo)le use in t e @est( and t e ot er bein' t e lunar calender. 1 e Korean New Years based on t e @estern calender is similar to our New Years in t e Bnited States. -t is a bi' national oliday in Korea as well( and occurs on January 1st Cust li*e it does ere. Durin' t is oliday( many relati+es 'et to'et er to s are time to'et er and tal*. -n Korea( t ere are some old traditions t at some )eo)le will still follow. $ne is to +isit t e oldest member of t e family and bow toward t em to s ow res)ect and to wis t em a lon' life (t is would occur on New Years 3+e). 1 e followin' day on January 1st )eo)le will )ay res)ect to ancestors by offerin' food and wine. 1 is ceremony is called Jaesa. %t t e be'innin' of t e ceremony( t e names of t e ancestors are )inned to a board. 1 e oldest family members bows and offers t e wine to t e ancestors w o a+e )assed away. 1 en( t e names are burned. "ater in t e day( relati+es tal* about old times and eat food. 1 e traditional food usually eaten on New Years Day is Du* ?oo*( a ty)e of sou). Kimc i is always )resent. 1 e ot er New Years Day is t e "unar New Years. -t is usually around February. Deo)le wear t e traditional clot es called Eanbo*. -t also is a day relati+es may 'et to'et er. Deo)le will e5c an'e 'ifts( and t e c ildren will definitely be a))y because t ey are usually 'i+en money on "unar New Years. Sometimes t e "unar New Years and t e Solar New Years are )retty common and in+ol+e similar traditions. 1 e main idea be ind it all is to wis e+eryone a a))y new year( 'ood luc* in t e new year( same as e+eryw ere else in t e world( as well as )ay res)ect to t ose w o a+e )assed away. -f you )lan on +isitin' Korea durin' eit er of t ese times( boo& ahead)

Independence Day
Similar to our July 8t -nde)endence Day( t e Korean -nde)endence Day re)resents w en Koreans declared t emsel+es inde)endent from Ja)anese rule. -t is on !arc 1st e+ery year( and be'an in 1,1, w en t e declared t emsel+es inde)endent from Ja)anese rule. Ja)an ad ta*en o+er Korea in 1,1;. For t e ne5t , years( Koreans would li+e a ard life under Ja)anese control. Since t ey declared inde)endence( e+ery year t ey )roudly stand for t eir inde)endence from all forei'n rule( Cust as we do ere in %merica on July 8t .

Chuseok
# useo* is t e same as our F ar+est moon.F -t ta*es )lace on t e 1.t day of t e 9t mont 'oin' by t e lunar calendar. -t is a day w ere t e full moon a))ears lar'er and may loo* oran'e. 1 is oliday is celebrated in many asian countries.

Christmas
Since # ristianity too* old in Korea( # ristmas as been a 'rowin' oliday t ere as well. -t is a little different t an ere in t e west t ou' . !any youn' )eo)le will use # ristmas as a day to 'o out and )arty and t en will s)end New Years wit t eir family( w ic is Cust t e o))osite of many @estern families.

Children's Day
- Cust t ou' t - would list t is oliday because it is a oliday t at s ould be introduced e+eryw ereG $n # ildren/s Day( !ay .t of e+ery year( c ildren are 'i+en money for free and ta*en on outin's.

Hangul Day
Ean'ul Day( also *nown as Ean'ul Droclamation Day and Korean %l) abet Day( is on $ctober ,t in Sout Korea and January 1.t in Nort Korea. -t is Cust a day to celebrate t e creation of t e lan'ua'eG

Valentines Day, White Day, and

%ll of t ese are relatedG

lack Day

&alentines Day is on February 18t ( as it is ere. $n &alentines Day( 'irls will 'i+e c ocolates and ot er 'ifts to t e 'uys. -t is similar to our &alentines Day but is more one> sided. So( w at s ould be doneH @ ite Day was created. $n @ ite Day( one mont later on !arc 18t ( 'uys will 'i+e more e5)ensi+e c ocolates and 'ifts to t e 'irls. 1 ese c ocolates come in w ite bo5es. 1 is way it isn/t so one>sidedG 4ut w at about t e )eo)le w o feel left out on t ose days because t ey a+e nobody to 'i+e c ocolates toH 1 at is w at 4lac* Day is forG $n 4lac* Day( anot er mont later on %)ril 18t ( )eo)le w o a+e nobody all 'et to'et er wit t eir friends and eat JaJan' Noodles( w ic are blac* in color. -t is not as )o)ular as &alentines Day and @ ite Day( but it is still celebrated by some )eo)leG