2010 Official Korean National Holidays

 

Although early Korea used only the lunar calendar, now holidays in Korea are based on both the lunar and solar calendar so the dates for some holidays vary each year. It might be different from your home country to celebrate a holiday on a Wednesday, rather than enjoying a long week-end, or to not experience a day off of work because a holiday falls on a week-end, but the good news is that most restaurants, tourist attractions and stores will be open on holidays (unless said holiday is New Year's Day or Lunar New Year's Day when you might be locked out of everything but your apartment).

Here are the holidays you can expect to have off of work this year...take a rest, take in festivals, explore the country or just sleep in!

New Year’s Day

- Friday, January 1st, 2010

Much like at home, the first day of the New Year (신정, Sinjeong) is recognized in Korea and celebrated with a day off from work! Many Koreans take in sunrise festivals throughout the nation to welcome the new year. You can expect some restaurants to be open, but government buildings, tourist spots and stores might be closed, so consider this in advance if your refrigerator is empty.

 

Lunar New Year

- Saturday - Monday, February 13th - 15th, 2010

Lunar New Year’s Day (설날, Seollal or sometimes Seolnal) is the most important traditional holiday within Korea and for many countries throughout Asia (you might be familiar with Chinese New Year? Same thing!) Many businesses will close, including schools, and roads will be busy with traffic as Koreans travel to visit their hometowns to take part in traditional rites honouring their ancestors - if you want to spend time traveling, book trains to avoid traffic, or planes to enjoy the days off, and book them as soon as possible. This year two of the days of the new year fall on the week-end rather than throughout the week, so many people might be less likely to travel given less time off work.

Although modern times are seeing a change in some rituals, Lunar New Year is a very busy time for Korean families - and department stores - as people stock up on foods to treat their families and take part in ancestoral rites. Gifts, especially gift sets of health products, cleaning products, gift certificates, cash and foods like Spam, dried fruit and ginseng are given at the time of Lunar New Year. Traditionally hanboks (Korean traditional dress) are worn, and families go to visit their parents (especially the parents of elder sons and husbands) outside of the city, but as times change, now more often parents are found visiting their children's families instead as travel into the city is usually easier than travel out of the city.  

Often, you'll likely hear from your Korean friends about massive feasts of traditional foods busily prepared by Korean women, while Korean men take it easy watching sports games and having a drink or two. Slowly this aspect of the holiday is changing, with families helping more and traditions being relaxed to allow food from outside of the house to be delivered from food services rather than made from scratch in the kitchen.

On Seollal day, families rise early to dress in traditional clothes or new clothes for the season, and perform ancestoral rites through food offerings and special rituals. After these rites, families sit to a feast which includes tteok guk (rice cake soup), a traditional food that, when eaten on Seollal, adds a year to your age (many Koreans will consider themselves one year older in the new year, regardless of birth date).

After the meal, everyone bows a very formal bow to their elders, who will in return offer them a new year wish of health and happiness as well as an envelope filled with money. Traditional games like 'yut nori' (throwing sticks on blanket) might be played, and those new year envelopes sometimes become fodder for family bets.

Movie theatres will be packed, and more and more amusement parks are offering traditional Seollal experiences (game playing, performances, and music) for Koreans and foreigners alike, but are not always overcrowded on holidays. This is an important time of year for Koreans, so try to be respectful of the combined stress and festive spirit they might be feeling and wish people you see 새해 복 많이 받으세요 or 'sae hae bok—man-hi—bah deu sae yo' (happy new year).

Independence Movement Day

- Monday March 1st, 2010

March 1st, or Samil (3.1절, 'three-one) Day, in 1919 was the day that 33 nationalists convened together to read the Korean Declaration of Independence (drawn up by historian/writer Choe Nam-seon and poet/Buddist monk Manhae/Han Yongun), inspired by the repressive nature of Japanese policies during the military administration/Japanese colonization of Korea following 1905. The document was supposed to be read at Tapgol (Pagoda) Park near Insadong in Seoul, but the group chose a more private place to avoid riots as they signed the declaration and offered a copy to the Japanese Governor General. They then called police and turned themselves in. 

A young student, Chung Jae-yong, publicly read the declaration to massive demonstrations of people at Tapgol Park anyway, and at 2 p.m. on March 1st, the same declaration was read at appointed places around the country. Approximately 200,000 Koreans participated in nationwide uprisings that were brutally suppressed by the Japanese army. Despite the reported deaths of more than 7,500 people and injuries of almost 16,000 people and imprisonment with execution at Seodamun prison, Koreans continued to fight against Japanese imperial rule. The March 1st movement is considered to be a major breaking point against Japan's colonization of Korea and events of that day inspired nonviolent protest throughout the world as well as the estabilishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea on April 13th, 1919.

Each year on this day, a holiday since 1949, a public reading of the Declaration takes place at Tapgol Park or it's a good time to visit Seodamun Prison to learn more, if you haven't yet.

Labour Day

- Saturday, May 1st, 2010

May 1st is not an official national holiday, but you might find many government buildings and some businesses closed.

Children’s Day

- Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

If you teach, you'll start hearing about Children's Day (어린이날) well in advance. Children's Day was inspired by children's author Bang Jeong Hwan in 1922, when he wrote, "Children are the future of our nation. Let's show respect for children. Children who grow up with ridicule and contempt from others will become people who disrespect others, while children who grow up with respect from others will become people who respect others in turn."
A national holiday since 1975, parents have the day off to indulge their children with gifts and fun activities - perhaps today isn't the best day to go to the movies, amusement parks or the zoo.

Parent's Day 

- Saturday, May 8th, 2010
Although May 8th is no longer a national holiday, you'll see plenty of carnations being sold on the street to sons and daughters who are picking up the treasured flower to show honour, love and respect to their parents on this day. Everything will be open for business as usual...unless run by parents who decide to give themselves a little break, perhaps.

 

Teacher’s day

- Saturday, May 15th ,2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buddha’s Birthday

- Friday, May 21st, 2010

Buddha's birthday is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. You'll hear this day being referred to as 석가탄신일 (Seokga tansinil), meaning "the day of Buddha's birthday" or 부처님 오신 날 (Bucheonim osin nal) meaning "the day when Buddha arrived". Prior to Buddha's birthday, volunteers and monks will be working hard to decorate the area surrounding temples with colourful paper lanterns - you'll see streams of lanterns flooding down along streets, and if you follow them, inevitably you'll reach a temple in the mountains or down a side street.

Visit a Buddhist temple to witness celebrations and rituals on Buddha's birthday - most will offer complimentary vegetarian lunch and dinner if you are there at the right time.

In Korea, the Sunday prior to Buddha's birthday is absolutely a time to visit Insadong in Seoul, where a massive Buddhist 'Lotus Lantern Festival' involving hundreds of Buddhists from around the world takes place during the day, and a lit lantern parade streams for hours along the streets of Seoul when the sun goes down. Don't miss it, and bring your camera (with a tripod if you feel you might be a bit too shakey to adequately capture the lights).
  

Memorial Day

- Sunday, June 6th, 2010

Memorial Day (현충일) is a national holiday to commemorate the soldiers and civilians who have given their lives for their country while in the military or independence movement. The official commemoration ceremony is held at the National Cemetery in Seoul, where former president Kim Dae-Jung was buried in August 2009 (Seoul Subway Line 4, Dongjak Station).

Constitution Day

- Saturday, July 17th, 2010

Constitution Day (제헌절) honours the proclamation of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea that was put into effect on July 17th, 1948. This is not a national holiday.

 

 

 

 

 

Liberation Day

- Sunday, August 15, 2010

Liberation Day (광복절 - meaning 'restoration of light') celebrates the national liberation from Japan in 1945 when Emperor Showa announced surrender and World War II was ended. On this same day in 1948, the Republic of Korea was established. This is a national holiday and you might find some establishments to be closed.

 

Chuseok 

- Tuesday - Thursday, September 21st - 23rd, 2010

Chuseok (추석) is one of Korea's most important traditional holidays, and is often compared to North American Thanksgiving as it is a celebration of harvest which falls at the time of Autumn Equinox like other major harvest festivals. Chuseok is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, and as a result, the holiday falls on a different day each year. 

Like at Sollal time, if you plan to go somewhere for this national holiday, it's best to book travel in advance, as traditionally Koreans flock to the graves of their ancestors in their hometowns to trim the grass of burial tombs and celebrate ancestral rites or honour the full moon. If you plan to travel within Korea - usually a lovely time of year to do so - book train travel (even standing room) to avoid clogged bus lanes, and look into flights outside of the country well before the autumn arrives as many Koreans take the opportunity of time off work to plan getaways.

A popular food at this time is 'songpyeon,' a crescent-shaped rice cake steamed with pine needles, and like at Seollal, traditional games might be played amongst friends and family. Chuseok is held on September 22nd this year, with a day on either side of the holiday also designated as days off.

National Foundation Day

-Sunday, October 3rd, 2010

National Foundation Day (개천절 - meaning 'heaven opened day') celebrates the founding of Gojoseon, the first state of Korean nation, on the third day of the tenth lunar month in 2333 B.C. by the legendary god-king Dangun (the son of heaven). For convenience, modern Koreans celebrate the holiday National Foundation Day on the solar calendar date of October 3rd each year.
On this day, a small ceremony is held at the altar (believed to have been erected by Dangun) on top of Mount Manisan in Gangwado province.

Hangeul Day

- Saturday, October 9th, 2010

Hangeul Day (한글날), otherwise referred to as Hangeul Proclamation Day or Korean Alphabet Day, is held to commemorate the invention of the native alphabet of the Korean language in the Hunmin Jeongeum on this day in 1446. Koreans are incredibly proud of the Hangeul alphabet, created by revered scholar King Sejong and respected as one of the most recent and official languages ever created. Sadly, this is no longer a national holiday.

 

 

 

Christmas

- Saturday December 25th, 2009

Christmas (성탄절) is observed as a national holiday in Korea, however, you might find that many establishments (movie theatres, stores, restaurants, amusement parks) remain open throughout most of the winter holidays.