In Korea, there are several holidays that are similar to those of the US but also some that are very foreign to American culture. The two most important traditional Korean holidays are the Lunar New Year’s Day (설날) and Korean Thanksgiving Day (추석), both of which bring people to visit their hometown. The Independence Movement Day (3.1. 절) is another that commemorates South Korea’s freedom from the Japanese regime on March 1, 1919. Another is Children’s Day (어린이날), which is basically a day to for parents to treat their children out and hope for a bright future for them. Hangeul Day (한글의 날) is a holiday that commemorates the creation of the Korean language, Hangeul, by the publication of the Korean textbook called Hunminjeongeum (훈민정음) that contains the logistics and foundation of the language. Korean holidays are integral to Korean language and culture because there are many different customs or foods that correspond to each culture, such as rice cake soup (떡국) for Korean New Year’s Day and memorial rituals called 차례 on Thanksgiving Day to respect and serve one’s ancestors. I become nostalgic thinking about Korean holidays because I remember having so much fun gathering with my relatives at my grandparents’ house and enjoying traditional food, playing some traditional games, and bonding with family. Below is an example of a table prepared for the ancestors, along with a picture of children dressed in hanbok (한복) for the Korean Lunar New Year’s Day.
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