Forgotten Festivals

INTERESTING FACTS:

Did you know?

There are many Korean Traditional Festivals that have been celebrated among the Koreans for a long time. However, throughout Korea’s long history, festivals have been forsaken and forgotten.

How many traditional festivals of Korea do you know about? Most of you probably only know of the biggest festivals, Chuseok, the Harvest Festival and Seollal, the New Years Day.

Meoseumnal (머슴날)

Meoseumnal is the one of the few forgotten festivals in Korea. Held during the 2^nd Lunar month, Meoseumnal is a traditional festival for servants. 'Meoseum' (머슴) means servants and slaves, and 'nal' (날) means a day in Korean. In many historical dramas, we always see rich people with servants during the Joseon period. This is the day that the masters allowed their servants to celebrate with extra food and money, so as to encourage them to work better for the year’s farming. However, this festival is no longer celebrated since the Meoseum system has been abolished. As such, it’s rare to see a person who remembers this festival.

Yongdeungje (영등제)

Yongdeungje is another festival celebrated during the 2^nd Lunar month. It is a day to celebrate Yongdeung (영등, the god of wind) which is believed to descend on earth on the first day of February and ascend on the 20th. Mostly celebrated in Jeju Island and Youngnam district, the people (usually from the farming and fishing sectors) will perform ancestral rituals to appease the wind god. People believe that the year would be fruitful if it is cloudy or it rains on the 20^th.

Sambok (삼복)

Falling between the 6th and 7^th Lunar month, Sambok is known as the hottest day of the summer. To get through this hottest day, people eat fresh fruits, liquor, and other traditional foods. The most popular dish to be eaten on that day is the Samgyetang (삼계당) (made of a whole young chicken and Korean ginseng). There is a myth that if one bathes in the river or lake on the day of Sambok, that person will grow weak.

Seotdal Geumeum (섣달그믐) was established to celebrate the last day of the year. People believe in driving the evil spirits away and welcoming a new and prosperous year. In the past, palaces and public office people wore masks and played drums to drive away the evil spirits. And because the following day is Seollal (New Year’s Day), most people start preparing the traditional food for Seollal and clean up their houses.

There are much more interesting and fascinating festivals. Check them out online!

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