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Despite teeth-chattering winds, people didn't mind braving the cold weather to observe the first full moon of the year, or Jeongwol Daeboreum, which falls on the 15th day of the first month on the lunar calender.
On this day, Koreans eat "ogok-bap" or "five-grain rice" with an assortment of seasoned vegetables such as dried zucchini, eggplants and mushroom. The combination of foods served on Jeongwol Daeboreum is believed to bring good luck and health throughout the year.
The time-honored tradition dates back to the Unified Shilla Dynasty more than a thousand years ago and continues to this day.
Hanok Village nestled at the foot of Namsan mountain in the middle of Seoul, offered a chance for people to enjoy many of the rites and culinary recipes that characterize Daeboreum. "The ogok-bap was great. I enjoyed it," said one visitor.
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During the Daeboreum festival, marking the first full moon of the lunar year, a traditional Korean game called Gossaum (meaning Go battle) is held in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province. The Go is a loop of straw ropes tied up in a knot. The game, during which the town is divided East-West to symbolize male and female, is being held to bring about a good harvest./Yonhap
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Repeating an age-old tradition called "bureom" well-wishers also munched and crunched on peanuts and walnuts. The cracking of hard-shelled nuts and eating them on Jeongwol Daeboreum is believed to keep your face from breaking out and make your teeth stronger.
People also pounded mounds of rice dough, played the traditional board game "yut-nori" and took turns jumping on a "neol-ttwi-gi," an indigenous version of the western seesaw.
And it wasn't just Koreans who were out having fun. "I heard a little about that talking with Koreans that today the moon is the brightest and that it's a special holiday here in Korea and has lots of cultural significance," said one foreigner.
In another part of Seoul called Insa-dong, foreigners learned to make Korean kites or "yeon" and had a chance to fly them. From the traditional bangpae yeon to gaori yeon, modeled after a shield and a stingray, Korean kites adorned the sky.
The highlight of Jeongwol Daeboreum, however, is in the evening. People light up the full-moon-lit sky by burning Daljib or "Moon House," made with wooden twigs wrapped with handwritten letters of wishes. And finally, the Daljib is set ablaze as people make wishes to the moon.
Arirang TV
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