Solar New Year’s Day |
January 1 |
Koreans celebrate both the Solar New Year and the Lunar New Year. The first day when employees return to work after the holidays is usually a time when speeches are offered that describe hopes for the coming business year |
Lunar New year’s Day(Seol-nal) |
The 1st day of the 1st lunar month |
The first day of the first lunar month, plus the day before and the day after: Koreans celebrate both the solar and the lunar new years. The days before and after the first day of the first new moon are also considered holidays. This means that employees have three days off work. During this period, the highways become jammed with families who visit their hometowns to pay respects at their ancestors’ graves. |
Movement Day |
March 1 |
March 1, 1919 marked the beginning of the Korean Independence Movement. On that day, independence fighters announced Korea’s declaration of independence from Japanese colonialism. In response, Japanese police and military forces killed and injured thousands of unarmed protestors. |
Children’s Day |
May 5 |
May 5 has been designated a day of celebration for children, both young and old. Amusements parks, zoos, and national parks become crowded with families enjoying the holiday and the spring weather. |
Buddha’s Birthday(Seokka Tanshin-il) |
The 8th day of the 4th lunar month |
The eighth day of the fourth lunar month: The celebration of Buddha’s birthday occurs on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month (it usually falls in May). Buddhist monks spruce up their temples and hang colorful lanterns. Many of the larger temples also hold festivals and parades. |
Memorial Day |
June 6 |
June 6 is the day set aside for citizens to remember those who died for their country. Civilians and soldiers are honored in ceremonies held throughout the country, and, in particular, at Seoul’s National Cemetery. |
Liberation Day |
August 15 |
When Japan’s official surrender to the Allied forces occurred on August 15, 1945, the 35-year colonization of Korea by the Japanese ended. August 15, 1948 also marks the establishment of the Republic of Korea. |
Harvest Moon Festival(Chuesok) |
The 15th day of the 8th lunar month |
Also called “Han-gawi(한가위)” it is the Harvest Festival where Koreans thank the first rice harvest of the year. As with many Asian nations, rice is the main diet for Koreans. Together with Seollal, it is one of th biggest holidays. Farmers pay tribute to ancestors for doof harvest; families and relatives meet and celebrate the holidays. many visit their ancestral hometowns and share a feast of traditional food, which invariably create traffic jams of epic proportion for a few days. |
Foundation Day |
October 3 |
According to legend, the God-King Tan-gun founded the Choson Kingdom in 2333 B.C. This day fills citizens with nationalistic pride about the 4,000+ year history of Korea. |
Christmas Day |
December 25 |
Although this day has not yet become as commercialized as Christmas has become in America, the large number of Christians in Korea ensure that this is a time of celebration. More and more businesses have begun to decorate and sell Western-style Christmas cards. Because of the date’s proximity to the end of the year, many Koreans prefer to give New Year’s gifts, rather than Christmas gifts. |