Jeongwol Daeboreum! - Celebrating the Great Full Moon Festival
<Jeongwol Daeboreum! - Celebrating the Great Full Moon Festival>
For the first full moon of the Lunar New Year, South Korea celebrates Daeboreum (Great Full Moon). Here are some fun ways to participate!
Daeboreum (대보름) means “great full moon” and is believed that the moon on that day is the brightest in the whole year. It is an important day for Koreans to celebrate and wish for good luck and health throughout the year! Here's how -
Buy my heat! Have you heard this term? Deowipalgi means selling the heat. It is believed that if you call out a friend or siblings name before sunrise on Daeboreum and they respond, you can say “내 더위 사가라” (Buy my heat), which means they will absorb all of the heat that you would have endured this coming summer. Making things much cooler for you These days, it is more common to hear this phrase said throughout the day, without calling out others' names first! Make sure to ask your friends how many times they have sold their heat to see who is the most successful!
Another common ritual done on the morning of Daeboreum is cracking the shell of a walnut or other nuts open with one's teeth. Traditionally you are supposed to crack open one nut for every year of your life! This is believed to keep ones teeth healthy and bring good luck for the year. Make sure you have some Bureom (nuts) ready, and go easy on your teeth!
Places like Jeju Island are well known for their Fire Festival, where they celebrate the burning of the Daljip (Moon House). The Daljip is a large pile of twigs or straw that is set on fire when the moon rises to ward off misfortune. The way the fire burns is also an indicator of how the year's crop will turn out. If the Daljip has a consistent burn and is steady then there will be a good harvest. If the Daljip blows out of falls apart then there will be a bad harvest season. Check out the Jeju Fire Festival for more information!
If you can, try and get to some higher ground to witness the rise of the first full moon, it is a very popular way to celebrate in South Korea! Some of the locals favorite spot is the N Seoul Tower, being that high up offers a stunning view!
Happy
Daeboreum, we wish you good luck and health for the new year!!
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