Holidays and events in South Korea 2020: the most important festivals and vibrant events, national holidays and events in South Korea. Photos and videos, descriptions, reviews and time of the event.

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Residents of South Korea have great respect for holidays and celebrate them colorful and noisy. This country is famous all over the world for its festivals, everyone can become a spectator and participant throughout the year, seeing with their own eyes these bright, lively and amazingly beautiful holidays of life.

Koreans celebrate New Year twice: the usual holiday of the coming of the New Year according to the solar calendar is celebrated here quite quietly and modestly, with family and friends. But the New Year according to the lunar calendar can be safely called the longest and very important holiday in South Korea. For 15 days, stormy New Year's festivities and celebrations, masquerade balls and costume parades are held throughout the country.

On New Year's Eve itself, according to the lunar calendar, it is customary to prepare a rich dinner, full of a huge number of different dishes: the tradition says that on this night not only residents of the house sit down to the table, but also the spirits of their deceased relatives.

Spring is the time of nature awakening, so most of the spring holidays and festivals in South Korea are nature-themed. In March, the Plum Festival is held in Gwangyang City, when the different varieties of these trees in bloom are presented in all their glory. In April, Jeju Island becomes the perfect destination for all lovers to walk over the flower petals under these beautiful trees during the Sakura Festival, thus blessing their family life.

Koreans celebrate Buddha's birthday in May. On this day, it is customary to visit temples and pray. Many cities are becoming places of intense celebration, the streets are filled with colorful crowds of marching people, and houses and temples are decorated with multicolored lotus-shaped lanterns.

One of the largest and most interesting festivals in Korea is the Busan Sea Festival, which takes place on the territory of all city beaches in the first half of August and annually attracts more than ten million guests from all over the world.

Summer in South Korea is replete with a wide variety of festivals. Car lovers should definitely visit the Seoul Auto Show in July, where they can see the latest trends in car production. Boryeong hosts the Clay Festival in July, accompanied by the hilarious madness of fighting in the mud.

One of the largest and most interesting festivals in Korea is the Busan Sea Festival, which takes place on the territory of all city beaches in the first half of August and annually attracts more than ten million guests from all over the world. The festival program is full of many events: concerts, exhibitions and sports competitions, plus each guest of the festival can learn to row a canoe or dive for free. The opening ceremony of the festival deserves no less attention: it gathers all famous Korean performers, and at the end, a festive fireworks are launched on the beach.

The national art of cooking is another important part of the country's culture. In October, Nam-do city hosts the most delicious Korean festival: the Big Food Festival, during which famous chefs from Jeolla province prepare stunningly delicious and equally beautiful traditional South Korean dishes. The culinary masters at work are a wonderful and inspiring sight, and trying the national dishes prepared by them is an incomparable pleasure for any gourmet.

A unique event in the cultural life of South Korea is considered the October International Fireworks Festival in Seoul, spectacular and brilliant. World-class experts in the field of pyrotechnics create an absolutely stunning atmosphere out of air and light, colors and fires. Guests of the festival will enjoy breathtaking fireworks and a laser show.

Korea is often referred to as the land of tradition. From a very early age, children are taught here certain rules of behavior that will accompany them throughout their lives. Eating healthy food, honoring ancestors, knowing the Hangul alphabet perfectly and wearing the Handbok national dress for all holidays in Korea - these and other inviolable customs have existed for hundreds of years and will remain in the lives of Koreans for more than one century, given how rigorously they are respected by all residents of the country.

The country fell apart, but the holidays survived

Once Korea was a single state, but after the Second World War, the country's territory was delimited into two political zones - north and south. Subsequently, the northern zone was transformed into the independent Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and the southern - into the Republic of Korea. While dividing territories turned out to be quite simple, it turned out to be impossible to divide the national holidays of Korea, which have been developing for more than one decade. In both states, they still continue to celebrate dates that were once common, uniting and rallying the nation.

So, the celebration of the New Year remains unchanged - the main event, which is not afraid of any political strife. fun and interesting is the main task of every inhabitant of our planet, and Koreans are no exception.

On the night of January 1, Koreans gather with their relatives and friends to spend the old year, leave troubles and misfortunes in it and enter the new one with the hope of prosperity and prosperity. As in other countries, squares are decorated with ornate Christmas trees and garlands, shopping centers are full of joyful bustle, and traditional Santa Clauses walk the streets.

If all over the world the morning of January 1 means the end of the main celebrations, then for Koreans all the most interesting is yet to come. According to the lunar calendar, Koreans celebrate the transition to the new year in February. Seollal is the name of the main festival for every citizen of the state.

It is customary to celebrate Seollal within the strict framework of ancient traditions: in every house a ritual of sacrifice to ancestors is held, ritual tables with national dishes are laid, each congratulation is necessarily accompanied by deep bows, demonstrating respect and love for relatives.

How are significant events in South Korea celebrated?

There are not so many official holidays in South Korea: only nine. That is why the inhabitants of the country treat each significant date with special trepidation, looking forward to it and carefully preparing for it. Spring holidays in South Korea begin with the Day of the country's independence movement. In early March 1919, a declaration of independence was published, in defense of which hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets. During the demonstrations and mass rallies, more than 47,000 Koreans were killed by the Japanese police. Descendants honor the memory of their fallen ancestors and celebrate this important date every year.

In April, the entire country takes to the streets to take part in special landscaping and tree planting events. April 5th is the name of the tree-planting day in Korea... The restoration of Korean forests is one of the most important national tasks, and every citizen considers it his duty to go out on this day and plant some seedlings.

In May, residents of the country celebrate two significant events: the 5th is Children's Day, and the 12th is the birthday of Buddha. So that Koreans can pray to Buddha and thank him for his help, the country's authorities declared May 12 a day off. Festivities, festive processions, streets decorated with colorful lanterns - this is how Koreans pay homage to their deity.

Summer in South Korea is marked by two holidays: The Day of Remembrance for those killed in the Korean War and the Day of the Proclamation of the Constitution. The beginning of autumn is a time that all residents of the country are eagerly awaiting. In the 15th of the 8th lunar month, Chuseok is celebrated - a festival of harvest and gratitude to the soil for its generosity.

Holidays of the Country of Morning Freshness

North Korea is often called "the country of morning freshness" or "the country of morning calm". Almost all significant events in this country are of a political nature, with the exception, perhaps, only of the New Year. All other holidays in North Korea, one way or another, are associated with the ideas of patriotism and communism - the main landmarks of the state's course.

February 16 is the birthday of comrade Kim Jong Il - a military, party and statesman who has ruled the country for 17 years. April 15 is another most important date - the day of the Sun, the day when the "eternal president" comrade Kim Il Sung was born.

On the North Korean holiday calendar, the names of these two legendary leaders are very common: their birthdays, death anniversaries, the dates when Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung took over the leadership of the state, and so on.

If these important names do not appear in the name of the holiday, then Koreans are celebrating Army Formation Day, Labor Party Founding Day or Nation Day. The country is almost completely isolated from the outside world, so it is difficult to say whether the North Koreans themselves like this order of things or not: all citizens are brought up in the spirit of strict patriotism and love for the Motherland, and questions of personal life fade into the background when it comes to Homeland and her interests.

Holidays are loved by all people: both adults and especially children, but it is Koreans who value them very highly. There are 9 public holidays in the country, but if they fall on a day off, they are not carried over to a weekday, because some of them simply "burn out". It is for this reason that Koreans have a special feeling for each holiday and spend it brightly, beautifully, and cheerfully.

Korea, like any other country, is associated with certain established images. This is, first of all, the national Korean clothing - hanbok, which many people wear for a holiday. These are healthy Korean foods - kimchi and bulgogi. This is the Korean alphabet - Hangul, there is even a holiday that is dedicated to it. So, about the holidays in Korea in order.

New Year

New Year's Day, which is celebrated on January 1, is formal in Korea. He is usually greeted with friends and relatives. Of course, there are decorated Christmas trees, Santa Clauses, New Year cards and gifts. On the streets there are posters wishing all the best and best for the coming year. Many Koreans go to the mountains on this holiday, where they meet the first sunrise of the year.

New Year according to the lunar calendar

It is the most important and longest holiday in the Korean calendar. Celebrations, festivals, fairs last 15 days, and the holiday itself lasts 3 days. This new year is often called "Chinese", because the holiday itself and the traditions of celebrating it came from China.

The main New Year's tradition is dinner. There should be a lot of different dishes on the table. At the table, according to legend, there are the spirits of deceased ancestors who come to celebrate the celebration together with their living relatives. In the street, mass festivities are organized - costume dances, processions in masks and New Year's costumes.

The morning of a new day of the year begins with a traditional breakfast, national Korean dishes are served - kimchi, anchovies, all kinds of spices and herbs, for example, bell root and much more.

On the first day of the year, many rituals related to the worship of ancestors are performed, for example, the tsare ritual is a sacrifice to the dead, a table is laid for them in a special way, many dishes are placed in a strict order and in strictly designated places.

On the same day, living relatives of the older generation are worshiped. The ritual begins with the fact that the younger members of the family literally bow to the elders, and the older ones must give gifts and money to the younger ones.

Independence Day of South Korea

On March 1, South Korea celebrates Independence Day in honor of the proclamation of the state's independence from Japan. The Declaration of Independence was published in Seoul on March 1, 1919. A wave of rallies and demonstrations swept across the country, testifying to the Koreans' desire for sovereignty.

Tree planting day

The holiday in Korea is celebrated on April 5 and was established in connection with the country's reforestation campaign. On this day, many residents participate in landscaping their areas.

Sometimes Tree Planting Day coincides with Korean Hunsik, a cold food festival. It is customary on this day to visit the graves of deceased ancestors, to plant greenery, farmers must necessarily water the rice fields with water or throw the first seeds into the ground. On this day, only cold food is taken.

Children's Day

Since 1923, Children's Day has become a public holiday in South Korea. It is celebrated on May 5, and since 1975 it has been a non-working day. In all settlements of the country, mass festivities, sports games and competitions are held, the main characters of which are children.

Buddha's birthday

The holiday falls on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar. Koreans visit the Buddha Temple, where they pray for good luck and health. Processions with lotus lanterns are held in settlements. All churches in the country, streets and houses are decorated with the same lanterns.

Many temples organize charity dinners and tea parties, to which everyone is invited.

South Korean Constitution Day

Celebrated on July 17th. It was officially established in 1948 after the proclamation of the Constitution of the state. Since 2008, it has been a working day, no entertainment events are held, only solemn performances by the country's top officials.

Chuseok Festival in Korea

It's an autumn full moon. It falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, lasts 3 days. Family members get together, remember the departed, visit the graves. Every Korean seeks to celebrate the holiday in his native places with his family, therefore it is also called the day of the great resettlement, unthinkable traffic jams are formed on the roads of the country. Chuseok is the most important festival of the year in Korea, celebrated in honor of the harvest, family and clan.

State Foundation Day in South Korea

One of the main public holidays in South Korea in October is State Foundation Day. It is celebrated on October 3, it is a day off. It is one of the five national holidays in Korea. It is celebrated to commemorate the formation of the first Korean state in 2333 BC.

Fireworks festival

Held in Seoul and international. Since 2000, a festival-holiday has traditionally been held in October in Korea. The best pyrotechnic masters from all over the world come to it and create an atmosphere of beauty and celebration. Fireworks and pyrotechnic technologies are demonstrated here. Here you can see up to 50 thousand fireworks. Every year the festival becomes more and more popular and attracts more than a million tourists to bright and spectacular performances.

Korean alphabet day

The main holiday in South Korea in October is the Korean alphabet holiday called Hangul. In fact, they celebrate its creation and proclamation as the state alphabet by King Sejong, this historical event took place in 1446. Celebrated on October 9 and is a working day. Festivals dedicated to the national Korean culture and literature are held throughout the country.

In general, it should be noted that there are not many holidays in Korea in October, but they are mainly associated with statehood and national traditions. What other holidays in Korea are celebrated in October, besides the Day of the Founding of the State and the Day of the Korean Alphabet? Celebrating the Day of the South Korean Armed Forces on October 1, there are festive concerts and celebrations throughout the country. This holiday is highly revered in Korea, as it is considered a celebration of the strength and valor of the state.

Lantern Festival

It is held annually in November in Seoul and is dedicated to lanterns. It is very popular with tourists and townspeople, as it is a very colorful and cheerful holiday. The lanterns are lit at 10:00 and they burn until 11 at night. As a rule, a huge number of people gather for the festival, and festivities with contests, competitions, games, dances and songs are held on the square. About a kilometer of the main square of the city is decorated with lanterns. There are also master classes on creating your own lantern, you can do it yourself and install it on the square. The festival has recently become popular and very popular.

Christmas

On December 25, Korea also celebrates a Christian holiday - Christmas. A third of the country's population is Christian, so Christmas is important for Koreans and is celebrated on a grand scale. It's a day off. Streets, houses, temples are decorated with Christmas illumination and Christmas trees. The cafe serves special Christmas treats. Santa Clauses are everywhere. Christmas trees are even installed in Buddhist temples as a symbol of harmony between religions.

North Korean Holidays

Almost all festive events in this country are associated with the political course of the state, the only exception is the New Year. All holidays are associated with the ideas of communism and patriotism. There are many memorable dates in the country associated with the names of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. If these names are not present in the name of the holiday, then the state celebrates Army Day, Nation Day or Party Day. The country is practically isolated from the world, and its citizens are brought up in the spirit of patriotism and love for the Motherland.

Instead of a conclusion

Korea is called the land of traditions. Children from an early age are taught certain rules of behavior and life: to eat healthy food, honor ancestors, honor elders, know the national alphabet, wear national clothes for holidays - these traditions have existed for more than one century and will exist for a long time, judging by how Koreans strictly observe them. Korean holidays are also a tradition of the state, which have been developing for more than one century and to this day unite and unite the nation.

Holidays are different: national, religious, professional and international. But no matter what kind of holiday it is, it brings joy to our home! Some are celebrated at the state level, some in a narrow circle. Both those and others help the rapprochement, both of the whole nation and of a small team. Koreans love holidays, love their country, so they celebrate them cheerfully and noisily. Here are some special holidays for Koreans.

New Year in South Korea according to the solar calendar is celebrated quite formally. Basically, everyone tries to use the days off to meet friends and family. In addition to the decorated Christmas trees, Santa Clauses, the bustle around the stalls with New Year's cards and gifts, the streets are pleasing to the eye with posters replaced during the holidays with " We must all work hard"for wishes" More happiness in the new year"Someone goes to the mountains, on the tops of which they meet the first dawn of the new year, someone goes to close friends and relatives.

New Year is the longest and most important holiday in the Chinese (lunar) calendar. Festivals, celebrations dedicated to this holiday in South Korea last 3 days. Lunar New Years are often called " Chinese"because its celebration spread throughout Asia, and later throughout the world, precisely from the Middle Kingdom. Moreover, in most countries celebrating this holiday," Chinese"New Year is a public holiday and a joyful event for representatives of all nationalities and confessions. New Year's dinner is the main New Year's tradition. Moreover, there should be as many dishes as possible on the table. A popular tradition is bowing to seniors, senior relatives. On this day, it is customary to eat tteokkuk soup, which is a symbol of spiritual purity and longevity. It is believed that in the new year according to the lunar calendar, each person becomes a year older. According to tradition, on a festive night at the table there are the spirits of ancestors who are full participants in the celebration. All subsequent days are customary to visit with congratulations from relatives and friends.Also, during this period, traditional mass festivities are organized - costume dances and masquerade street processions.

Annually on 1 March in South Korea the Independence Movement Day (Samiljol) is celebrated in honor of the proclamation of independence from Japanese colonial rule and the official start of the passive resistance movement. In March 1919, the Declaration of Independence was published in Seoul. The declaration was signed by 33 patriots South Korea and read in the park Pagoda(now - Tapgol Park) Seoul... All over Korea a wave of demonstrations swept across the world, demonstrating Koreans' aspirations for sovereignty.

Arbor Day (Sikmogil in Korea) was established in conjunction with the government's Park Jin Hee campaign to restore Korean forests. As you know, this campaign has been extremely successful. Until 2005, this day was a public holiday in the country, but the traditions of celebration have been preserved even now. On this day, many residents South Korea take part in greening their areas, planting forests in the mountains. In common years, Tree Planting Day coincides with one of the important Korean holidays - the Cold Food Festival, which in Korea called Hansik, which literally means " cold food". Nowadays, people celebrate Hansik, associating it with the invitation of warm weather, which will melt the frozen ground. On Hansik Day, from the very morning, Koreans visit the graves of their ancestors with their families. In non-leap years, Hansik falls on day 105 after the winter solstice.At this time of year, the sky becomes clearer and clearer, farmers go out into the fields to throw the first seeds into the ground and water the rice plots. to take cold food on this day came from China, but recently the traditions described in the Chinese legend are gradually being forgotten.

The name of the holiday in Korean sounds: " Orini nal". This day has become a public holiday since 1923 thanks to the public educator Bang Jong-Hwan, who proposed to approve May 1 as Children's Day. Since 1946, the holiday has been celebrated on May 5, and has become a day off since 1975. events, sports, the heroes of which are, of course, children.

Buddha's Birthday (Seokgatansinil) is celebrated in some East Asian countries on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. Korea this holiday became an official holiday in 1975. On this day, Koreans visit Buddhist temples to pray for health and good luck in life. Many cities host festive processions with colorful lotus-shaped lanterns. Buddhist temples are also decorated with such lanterns, allowing you to admire the colorful picture for a whole month. Lanterns are hung along the streets, covering almost all free space. On Buddha's birthday, many temples host charity dinners and tea treats, to which all interested visitors are invited. The Buddha's birthday is also officially celebrated in Macau and Hong Kong. But in Of Japan, which switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1873, Buddha's birthday is celebrated on April 8 and is neither an official nor a major holiday.

Constitution Day in South Korea(Jeheonjeol / Constitution Day in South Korea) is celebrated annually on July 17 - this is the day of the proclamation of the country's Constitution in 1948. Officially, the day of the Constitution was approved on October 1, 1949 after the introduction of the law on public holidays in the country. First Republic South Korea was formally founded on August 18, 1948. Since 2008, Constitution Day is not a day off for workers and employees, although it is considered a holiday. No special events on this day, with the exception of official celebrations in Seoul and big cities South Korea, is not carried out. Also, over the years, marathon races, held in different parts of the country, have become traditional.
Story South Korea begins with the Soviet-American agreement at the end of the summer of 1945 on the division of spheres of influence on the peninsula. Under this agreement, part Korea south of the 38th parallel came under the jurisdiction of USA while the northern one is under the jurisdiction of the Soviet Union. In the history of the country, periods of democratic and authoritarian government have alternated. Since its foundation South Korea has come a long way in the development of its education, economy and culture. In the 1960s, the country was one of the poorest in the region, whereas now it is a developed industrial state.

August 15, 1945 Korea freed itself from Japanese colonial rule, while gaining independence and establishing its own government. In the Republic Korea an official ceremony is held on this day, and the national flag is flown on many buildings.

The autumn holiday Chuseok - the day of the full moon - is a holiday that is most eagerly awaited by, probably, all residents of modern Korea... Chuseok is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. But to be more precise, Chuseok lasts three days - the first and third days of the festival take place at the training camp and on the road. The culmination of the holiday is the middle day - the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. September 10 is also a public holiday as a result of the weekend substitution system. Highways are filled with endless lines of cars, and almost all offices and shops are closed for three days. Families get together, pay tribute to the memory of relatives who have passed away, and visit their graves. Everyone wants to celebrate the Chuseok holiday in their native places. Plane and train tickets are usually booked several months before the holiday. Chuseok, along with Seollal, is one of the most important holidays of the year, a celebration of the harvest and gratitude to the land for its bounty. People come to their parents' homes to spend this holiday together.

Annually on October 3 at South Korea one of the main public holidays is celebrated - the Day of the Founding of the State (National Foundation Day / Gaecheonjeol). This day is an official day off in the country; the day when the national flag is raised. State Foundation Day is one of the 5 national holidays established by the National Holidays Act 1949. The holiday was established in honor of the formation of the first state of the Korean nation in 2333 BC by the legendary king-god Dangun Wanggeom. Tangun was the son of a heavenly ruler and turned into a female bear, supposedly, and founded the state of Ancient Gojoseon. On the day of the festival, a simple ceremony is held at the altar of the summit of Mani Mountain on Ganhwa-do Island. According to legend, this altar was erected there by Tangun himself as a token of gratitude to his father and grandfather in heaven.

October 9 at South Korea Hangul Proclamation Day is celebrated. The original alphabet of the Korean language is called Hangul, and today it is celebrated for its creation and proclamation in the country by King Sejong the Great. King Sejong made public the publication of a document representing the new alphabet in 1446 in the ninth month of the lunar calendar. In 1926, the Hangul Society celebrated the 480th anniversary of the declaration of the Korean alphabet on the last day of the ninth lunar month, which coincides with November 4th of the Gregorian calendar. In 1931, the celebration was postponed to October 29 in the Gregorian calendar. In 1934, the date of the holiday was again postponed to October 28 due to the fact that there were many claims in which it was noted that in 1446 the Julian calendar was in circulation. In 1940, the original source of the document was discovered, reporting that the new alphabet was announced during the first ten days of the ninth lunar month. The tenth day of the ninth lunar month in 1446 corresponded to October 9, 1446 according to the Julian calendar. In 1945 the government South Korea officially set the Proclamation Day of the Korean Alphabet on October 9th. This day has become a day off for employees of state institutions. The day lost its status as a public holiday in 1991, under pressure from a large number of employers who opposed the increase in non-working days. However, Korean Alphabet Day remains a national holiday today. The Korean Alphabet Society is pushing for a resurgence of celebrations at the state level, but with little persistence so far. As before, on the Day of Korean Writing, a variety of festive events dedicated to national culture and literature are held. Many overseas linguists and Korean language lovers are also joining the festivities.

Christmas (성탄절) has become very popular due to the large number of Christians in the country. It is at this time that you can come to the country and plunge into the festive mood and maybe listen to several Korean versions of popular Christmas songs. Christmas is a national holiday in South Korea as in many other countries. As far as Christmas food is concerned, there is no turkey or ham as is common in the west. The most popular foods are kimchi and tteokguk (soup with tteok (chhapssal) - glutinous rice cakes), as well as tangerines and sweets.