#daeboreum

the day of the first full moon of the year 

Hoy, hemos empezado una nueva semana. Lo que no sabía es que hoy era un día especial para los coreanos. Bueno, digamos que más que especial, era un día reseñable. 

A la hora de comer, mientras iba poniéndome los platos en la bandeja nos han dado la bolsa de cacahuetes que os pongo. 

Una vez ya nos hemos sentado le he preguntado a Sung Ik si es que había que ponerlos en alguno de los platos que había cogido. Se ha empezado a reír y me ha dicho que no, que esos cacahuetes tienen una razón. Para saber la razón, pinchar en Seguir leyendo... 

Thursday, March 5, 2015

I celebrated Daeboreum (대보름) by going to Haeundae Beach to watch the bonfire. I went in 2011. This year was so much better because I went with my mom, and her energy and excitement is contagious! 

Daeboreum literally means “Great Full Moon” and it is a Korean holiday that celebrates the first full moon of the new year on the lunar Korean calendar. This holiday has a few fun old traditions. I remember my mom talking about it when I was a kid and it always sounded really bizarre to me. She talked about a big bonfire on the beach and throwing your underwear in the fire for good luck. 

A lot of traditions or customs that sounded “weird” or “foreign” when I was a kid have become “normal” and “comforting” since living in Korea. Lately, I’ve been feeling very thankful for my mom and the culture I’ve experienced since first moving to Korea in 2010. More so than ever, I am really proud to be Korean-American.

Traditionally, people ate ogokbap (오곡밥), a five-“grain” rice consisting of rice, millet, Indian millet, beans, and red beans, for breakfast. Later in the day, you should eat nuts to ensure healthy teeth and drink alcohol  (specifically ear-quickening wine [귀밝이술]) so you’ll be quick to hear good news in the upcoming year. 

Once the sun sets, there are several places with designated large fires. These days there are a lot of safety regulations, so volunteers will help you throw items in the fire. You can write messages with wishes for the new year, or you can throw old clothes into the fire (hoping to rid yourself of bad luck). This year I saw one woman who was so desperate to rid herself of bad luck that she threw the jacket she was wearing into the fire, because she had forgotten to bring old clothes to throw away. After her outburst, she looked at our group apologetically, explaining that she had had a particularly bad year. My mom nodded and patted her on the back.

Playing with Fire – Korea’s Great Full Moon

The Great Full Moon Party (대보름날 Daeboreum Nal)

Not so long ago – before Korea was divided into commie and capitalist-puppet halves and before it was annexed into a fascist empire – Buddhismand the folk traditions of the peninsular reigned supreme. I have no idea what the folk religions were, but they have to be way more fun than worshipping a skinny jewish guy who was nailed to a cross and whose…

It’s Daeboreum, the first full moon of the lunar New Year! I did not know that the bureom was a dish of nuts until Isabelle told me! Thanks again to Liqeufy for hosting! -snow

Bureom: