Season | Winter | ||||||||||||
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Period | 26 February (solar calendar) or 15 January (lunar calendar) | ||||||||||||
Introduction | "Daeboreum" refers to the Full Moon Day in the first month of a new lunar year. | ||||||||||||
"Daeboreum" refers to the Full Moon Day in the first month of a new lunar yea, which is considered a very meaningful and important day. Though rare, in some areas, January 14 is referred to as "Small Boreum" and January 15 as "Big Boreum." "Daeboreum" is also known as "Sangwon" (上元) from the Chinese names, "Jungwon" (中元), which falls on July 15, and "Hawon" (下元), on October 15. The Full Moon Day is also called "Ogiil" (烏忌日), or "Daldo" (怛忉), whose origin can be found in the tale of Sageumgap in the ancient record "Samguk yusa" (三國遺事, The Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms).
Representative rituals celebrating Full Moon's Day included village festivals for local communities, such as "Dalmaji" (Welcoming the First Moon), Sheaf Burning, Erecting Totem Poles, Tug-of-war, "Gisebae," "Jisinbalgi," Erecting "Byeotgaritdae" and many more. As for folk customs related to the moon, children or young adults would gather and pile up straw, pine needles or wood on a hill and make sheaves in the shape of small huts or storage rooms. They would wait until the moon rose and set the sheaves on fire amid loud excitement. With bamboos exploding inside the sheaves, the noise was supposed to drive away the evil spirits that hovered around the village. A well-burning sheaf signified an abundant year ahead, and from the direction and shape of the burning sheaf, people predicted their fortune. Such a practice was a community ritual in which all the villagers gathered to make a wish for prosperity, a good harvest or catch at sea, as well as good health and happiness. |