6/16/2023 0 Comments Elements of culture![]() For food, stuffed rice cakes (called 송편, songpyeon) are made as to the most traditional one, with a whole lot of others being enjoyed as well. It involves a whole lot of preparation in order to create a table of offerings, and on the table will also be two candles at the edges, an incense holder in the middle, and the memorial tablet, symbolizing the spiritual presence of the ancestors, at the very center. On 추석, on the other hand, it is 차례 (charye), an ancestral memorial rite, that is the most important part of the holiday. For food, it is normal to eat rice cake soup, savory pancakes, and stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables. In it, the whole family, dressed in 한복 (hanbok), performs a deep traditional bow while wishing for the year to bring in a lot of luck. One of the most important parts of 설날 (seollal), both traditionally and today, is to perform a ritual called 세배 (sebae). These are all part of Korean traditions and customs. Both holidays are celebrated together with family, with respecting ancestors, certain holiday foods and family games playing a big part of the day. There are two major holidays in South Korea every year: Lunar New Year’s Day (설날, seollal) in January-February and Korean Thanksgiving (추석) in September-October. ![]() He is also expected to take care of the parents when they reach retirement age. ![]() Therefore, it is not rare to still see the type of family dynamics where the eldest son of the family holds additional responsibilities over the family. Thanks to Confucianism, a lot of emphases is put upon respecting one’s elders and ancestors.Īnd although especially the younger generations of South Koreans are becoming more and more individualistic, Korea is still a largely collective society, with the family, workplace, business, and others’ perception of you holding a lot of importance. The hierarchy is built based on a person’s age, job status, education level, and general social rank. However, Buddhism and Christianity are also highly visible in the society where Buddhist South Koreans account for 46% of the population, and a lot of the areas in South Korea that are listed as world heritage sites are Buddhist temples.įor example, the concept of hierarchy in Korea comes from Confucianism. Of these, especially Confucianism has a long record of influence in Korea, and its political and social philosophies can still clearly be seen in today’s Korea. The spiritual ground and beliefs of Koreans are built mainly around the religions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Lastly, their government type is a republic, with a president as the head of state. The native language is Korean, which you can read all about here. In South Korea, the population of Korean people is estimated to be a little over 51 million, and a little over 25 million in North Korea.Īdditionally, there are around 7.4 million ethnic Koreans living all around the world. Meaning that almost everyone residing in any part of the region is ethnically Korean. The Korean peninsula, consisting of North and South Korea, is one of the most homogeneous regions in the world. And those are just some of the small pieces of what the culture is as a whole. On a perhaps more visible surface, Korean culture also consists of its food, holidays, national sports, and societal norms, as well as its popular culture in the form of music, movies, dramas, and fashion. The lasting tensions between North and South Korea, which were split into their separate countries in 1945, continue to shape up both countries today. It has been shaped by each of its different dynasties, wars, changes in religious beliefs, the modernization of the world as a whole, and many other customs and traditions that have been passed on between generations, experiencing slight changes with each generational pass. Korean culture comprises all of its history, customs, traditions, and beliefs. ![]() However, originally this cultural and historical heritage was shared quite identically across the entire Korean peninsula and even southern Manchuria. Today, starker cultural differences exist in today’s Korea, which has been split into North and South Korea. The Korean culture is one of the oldest continuous cultures in the whole wide world. 12 What does the dragon mean in Korean culture?.11 What is the History of Korean culture?.
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