Category: Seasonal Customs

An elderly grandfather holding an open book with a curious young boy kneeling beside him on a sunny wooden porch

Seasonal Customs

Daeseol: The Winter Solar Term, Barley Blankets, and Grandpa’s Wisdom

Experience Daeseol, the twenty-first solar term, through the eyes of young Dori and his grandfather as they discover the quiet resilience of winter barley fields.

A male pheasant with vibrant plumage stands up in a snowy cave nest while the female pheasant and chicks huddle together

Seasonal Customs

Jang-gwi-taryeong: The Tragic Tale of the Pheasant and the Red Bean

Discover the tragic and satirical Korean folktale of a male and female pheasant arguing over a red bean in the snow, exploring the history of Jang-gwi-taryeong.

A quiet Korean traditional village nestled among snow-covered hills under a deep indigo winter twilight sky on Dongji.

Seasonal Customs

The Little New Year: Warmth, Red Beans, and Growing Up on Dongji

Experience the warmth of winter through the eyes of eight-year-old Buni on Dongji, the shortest day of the year, when families share red bean porridge and gain a year of age.

A young newlywed bride sewing traditional socks by an oil lamp during a winter night

Seasonal Customs

The Longest Night of Dongjitdal: A Bride, a Father-in-Law, and the Tradition of Beoseon

During the longest night of the eleventh lunar month, a newlywed bride struggles to sew traditional socks for her parents-in-law, discovering unexpected warmth and shared tradition along the way.

An elderly grandmother examining a sick man's forehead while a young boy watches anxiously on a wooden porch.

Seasonal Customs

Doenjang and Wandering Ghosts: Korean Folk Remedies and the Gaekgwi-Muligi Ritual

Discover how traditional Korean doenjang plays a vital role in folk healing and the gaekgwi-muligi ritual to banish wandering spirits.

Elderly grandfather in a sky-blue jeogori smiling while wiping sweat after chopping wood

Seasonal Customs

Autumn Heat and an Old Person’s Health: A Korean Tale of Fleeting Vitality

Discover the traditional Korean proverb about autumn heat and elderly health, exploring seasonal transitions, fleeting vitality, and deep family bonds in late Joseon folklore.

Young boy Dolsae and his grandfather walking near a frozen reservoir in winter

Seasonal Customs

Yonggyeong: The Ancient Korean Tradition of Dragon Ploughing and Ice Divination

Discover yonggyeong, a fascinating Korean agricultural divination custom where villagers read ice cracks on frozen reservoirs to forecast the year's harvest.

Young girl cautiously opening a wooden hanok door into a dark courtyard on a cold winter night

Seasonal Customs

The Descent of Yeongdeung: Welcoming the Wind Deity at Dawn

Discover the Korean folklore of Yeongdeung, the wind deity who descends on the first day of the lunar second month, through a charming grandmother-grandchild tale and historical customs.

Illustration of farmer Mindol sitting hesitantly in front of a small earthenware jar in a traditional Korean room

Seasonal Customs

The Full Moon of Hawon: Renewing the Guardian Jar and Sharing Family Fortune

Experience the quiet reflections of farmer Mindol on Hawon—the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month—as he replaces last year's rice in the household guardian jar and learns the true meaning of sharing family fortune.