doljanchi korean first birthday

Guide to Doljanchi: Korean 1st Birthday

Doljanchi 돌잔치 is the Korean first birthday celebration. Dol 돌 means birthday and janchi 잔치 means banquet or feast, so doljanchi technically means birthday party. Though the term always refers to the first birthday party, this event is also called “cheot” dol, 첫돌, or “first” birthday. For the doljanchi, parents celebrate by having a party with many traditional foods and rituals.…

Why I Celebrate Dol

While dol ostensibly is a festive party centered around the birthday child, it is larger than that…It is a tribute to the generations who came before me and survived enough birthdays of their own to bring this very moment into life. For Korean parents, there are few events in their child’s life that take on greater significance…