Chuseok 2023 is on September 29! Be sure to check off the essentials for food, family, and fun. What is Chuseok? Korean Chuseok (추석), also known as Hangawi, is one of the two main holidays on the peninsula, and it’s a very big deal. Considered Korean Thanksgiving, it is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth…
October 3 on the Gregorian calendar is Gaecheonjeol (개천절), orNational Foundation Day. Gaecheonjeol literally means “the day on which the Heaven opens”, and is also known as Korea’s birthday. This holiday celebrates the legendary formation of the first Korean state of Gojoseon in 2333 BC and this date has traditionally been regarded as the date of the founding…
Valentine’s Day is celebrated a little differently all around the world and Korea is no exception. Valentine’s Day is a big deal in Korea but it’s very different than what you might experience in the Western world. In fact, lovers in Korea have 12 opportunities each year to celebrate and express their feelings. Korean Valentine’s…
Seollal (lunar new year’s day) is one of the largest holidays in Korea, and in 2022 it is celebrated on February 1. There are many wonderful Seollal traditions to experience such as eating delicious tteokguk, wearing hanbok, and playing games like yutnori, but perhaps the one tradition that is most loved and easiest to try…
What is Gwangbokjeol? August 15 isthe National Liberation Day of Korea and is a very important public holiday in Korea. This day is called Gwangbokjeol in Korean and literally translated, it means “Restoration of Light Day”. Gwangbokjeol celebrates the victory over Japan which liberated Korea from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule on August 15,…
Happy Korean New Year! Celebrating the New Year is a serious matter for Koreans. So much so that we often celebrate it twice a year – first on the Gregorian calendar New Year’s Day and second on the Lunar New Year’s Day. I still remember clearly celebrating this day back in Korea when I was…