Korean Culture (한국 문화)
From Hanboks, to traditional ceremonies in Korea, here are the things to know about Korean culture. (한복에서부터 한국의 전통 의식까지, 여기 한국 문화에 대해 알아야 할 것들이 있다.)
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Korean Temples: Art, Architecture, and History by Dale Quarrington
If you’ve ever wanted more information about some statue, artistic work or just the architecture of a Buddhist temple you passed along the way in Korea, chances are you stumbled upon Dale Quarrington’s website. It’s one of the few sites with such information available in English. Dale Quarrington recently published his second book on the religious sites that have captured his curiosity and intrigue while living in South Korea. Much like his website, the book aims to provide information little known to English speaking foreigners and hopefully will give people the oomph to get up and out and see the religious relics and sites that have caught his attention. For…
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Housewarming Parties In Korea: A Gifting Guide
When my husband and I moved a couple years back, I decided it was high time we had a housewarming party or a jipdeuri (집들이) in Korean. We invited friends and on the day of the get-together I was confused when my husband said we had to go get this food or that drink. Had I under prepared? Wouldn’t our friends be bringing food and it’s Korea, so probably drinks, or flowers and plants? As Emily Post had taught me, guests, though it’s not a rule, often bring drinks, say a bottle of wine, perhaps some bread and the odd plant or two. No, this is not the case in…
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A Baby’s First Birthday in Korea: How To Prepare a Doljanchi
Celebrating the first birthday of a child is a joyous occasion in any culture. The American and Korean cultures are quite different in how they celebrate birthdays, especially the first, so I jumped in head first with my Korean husband to learn more about the Korean dol and doljabi. If you’re wondering what a Korean first birthday party is like, get ready to learn about a doljanchi, how you can find out what your child will be in the future, and more. From Hanboks to rice cakes and the other things you’ll need to prepare for your baby’s first birthday Korean style. Feel free to skip around. Here’s what you…
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How To Celebrate The Winter Solstice In Korea
Like many holidays, unofficial or not, in Korea, there’s something that should be eaten on the upcoming winter solstice, or Dongji (동지), so get your spoons ready! The winter solstice is celebrated on the day of the year with the shortest daylight hours and the longest night and it usually falls on or around December 22nd each year. If you’re in Korea and want to celebrate the winter solstice Korean style, then this is what you should know. Here’s what you need to know about Dongji in Korea: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no…
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Valentine’s Day, White Day & The 13 Other Romantic Holidays In Korea
Did you know there are fifteen couples holidays in Korea? If you’re dating in Korea or get into a relationship with a Korean, you might just want to know when to get all romantic. Valentine’s Day is the day that people around the world know about, but there are plenty of other days on the calendars of Korean couples where they can profess their love, smooch it up, or just do something together. From the official celebrations to the unofficial Korean holidays, here’s when they are and what you should do if you want to celebrate in Korea… or just Korean style. Here are the unofficial (and some official) holidays…
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Why Koreans Say Have You Eaten Instead of How Are You
Recently in a conversation with four Korean women, the topic of etiquette and manners came up. We were discussing differences from the west compared to Korea. I brought up how endearing, although strange at first, that Koreans consistently ask if I've eaten and if I respond that I haven't, inevitably food shows up.
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Learning About Jeju Shamanism with Joey Rositano
There are over 400 shamanic shrines on the island of Jeju in Korea which the people there have worshipped for centuries, practicing a kind of traditional shamanism specific to Jeju known as muism. Natives on the island still actively practice the traditional shrine worship attending rituals a few times a year but as the island is being developed due to tourism and a contentious military base is being built, the grounds the shrines are located on are being encroached upon and some fear some of the shrines will be demolished all together in the near future. Jeju Island is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Korea. In fact,…
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Did You Know: Walking On The Right Side is the Left… Or Is It?
Have you ever gone to take a walk in Korea and come face to face with a local and wondered how that happened? I’m sure you’ve taken plenty of walks on plenty of sidewalks back home but wherever you came from, you walk, people walked, and you managed to pass each other. Why isn’t it so easy in Korea you might wonder. Why is there a weaving sort of system on sidewalks instead of a rule on which side of the sidewalk to walk on? There is a reason and one that you might not realize actually. (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of…
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How To Perform A Korean Jesa Ceremony
Jesa (제사) ceremonies are performed to honor the ancestors that have come before and paved the way for those that live today and the Lunar New Year is one time during the year that almost everyone partakes in the memorial rite.
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How To Set The Table for Jesa
On Seollal, before anything else, family members awake very early to cleanse themselves and dress in nice clean clothes. They may even wear a Hanbok, a traditional Korean style of clothing. Next, the table will be set. The table setting varies from region to region and family to family, but there are some basic rules that are followed everywhere.
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What To Expect When You’re In Labor in Korea
Having a baby abroad can be stressful. With emotions that are already running rampant because of pregnancy hormones, adding a new stressor isn't ideal. There had been no Lamaze classes or lessons on what to expect prior to labor and there we were. Five hours of contractions in the hospital in a room with just my husband and me and some nurses that would come and go every thirty minutes or so was the set up. Here's a general guideline of what to expect that might be different when giving birth in Korea.
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Only 53 Halmoni Remain
In January of this year, two halmoni, or former comfort women, passed away and now there are only 53 remaining. Comfort women is a euphemism for women that were coerced into sexual slavery by Japan during WWII. These women now preferred to be called halmoni, or grandmother in Korean, because they were anything but comfortable or comforted in the situation they were forced to endure.
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Raising Kids In Korea: Blunt Comments From Ajjummas
It's often said that Koreans are blunt. I don't recall hearing any Koreans say that but plenty of foreigners that come to the Land of the Morning Calm do. I imagine if you grow up here, what we consider blunt is considered normal and what we consider polite and non-confrontational could be considered passive and aloof. Going out into public with the new baby is something I look forward to while at the same time brings a nervous jittery feeling I never had before when faced with stepping out my front door.
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What to Expect After Giving Birth in Korea
We’d made it. We had our bundle of joy, gave birth in Korea, and were no longer the expectant couple. We were now a trio ready to face the world… well sort of. Giving birth in Korea can be daunting and there is so much going on from finding doctors, going to hospitals or birthing centers, to setting up the home to be baby friendly. It’s easy enough to think that once the baby comes, everything is done. But it isn’t! One of the first things to do is to get the birth certificate and yes, you should get both the Korean birth certificate and the English birth certificate. There…
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Basic Survival Rules For A Night Out In Korea
Whether you’re looking for a riotous night out or not, Korean style nights are a lot to handle especially if you don’t know what to expect. The basic game plan for any night out in Korea is to last five rounds which cover five different locations and often cover multiple alcoholic beverages and food across a spectrum of delicacies. There might even be some fun Korean drinking games. Drinking in Korea is serious… make sure you’re ready if you plan to have a night out in Seoul. There are plenty of tips and tricks and even Korean hangover cures for surviving and actually enjoying a night out, so let me…
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Secrets of the Korean Post-Natal Hotel: Postpartum Recovery In Korea
One of the decisions to be made by Korean women after they have their baby is whether or not they will stay in a post-natal hotel (referred to as a ‘PNH’ in the rest of this article). Post natal hotels are the best postpartum recovery option in Korea. Commonly women will attend such a place for two to three weeks after the baby comes in order to recuperate and learn how to care for the new addition to their family. If they will not attend one of these places it is generally assumed that they will be staying with their mother or mother-in-law or the elder woman will come to…
