Archive for 'Culture'
New Year’s Superstitions Posted by Ginny on Jan 5, 2009
The New Year is a time of insecurity and doubt for some people. To ensure a successful year Korean people may perform rituals that seem strange to Americans. Some of these rituals are performed out of habit. Some of them are performed to prevent misfortune. Whatever the reason, this post will be a combination of funny…
New Years Games Posted by Ginny on Jan 4, 2009
Koreans celebrate the New Year with many traditional games. Yay! Games! Seriously, who doesn’t like games?! Some of the games that I’m about to list are not actually games, they’re more like traditional activities that people perform during the New Year’s celebrations. Nonetheless, they’re quite fun and interesting, so remember to enjoy them and have…
Yut Nori (윷노리) Posted by Ginny on Jan 2, 2009
Yut nori (윷노리) is a traditional Korean game played on New Years. In Korea, New Years is a holiday that lasts roughly three days. Technically speaking the official New Years is designed as January 26th of this year. That’s because on the lunar calendar, the new year begins on the 26th of January. Sometime during…
Kut (굿) Posted by Ginny on Dec 11, 2008
I have a really bad cold today and have been taking some medicane, but I still feel terrible. I wish there was a magic solution to help me get better… Which gets me thinking…has anyone ever heard of kut (굿) before? What is kut (굿)? Kut (굿) is a ritual performed by a mudang (무당)…
Social Interaction Posted by Ginny on Nov 25, 2008
Are you worried about making a fool of yourself in front of a Korean family? Have you been invited to eat a meal in a Korean household? If so, I have some tips to help you so that your visit goes smoothly. Before you arrive at the house make sure you have a small gift ready. The…
Hanbok (한복) Posted by Ginny on Nov 24, 2008
For special occasions and other formal events it’s not unusual to see Korean people wear a hanbok (한복). For women, a hanbok (한복) consists of a fluffy skirt called a chima (치마) and a jogori (저거리), which is a short jacket with long sleeves. The collar of the jogori (저거리) is v-necked and lined with…
The Korean Wave Posted by Ginny on Oct 26, 2008
Hallyu (한루) or the Korean wave, is a term that refers to the growing popularity of Korean entertainment, culture, food and language in other countries; particularly in East and Southeast Asia. The Korean wave can be traced back to the 1990s when audiences in China, Japan and Taiwan were first exposed to South Korean dramas…