Daeboreum, the great full moon

About Daeboreum, the great full moon

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Koreans traditionally greet the rising moon with wishes, and the one who sees it first is said to have good luck that year. In the morning people crack nuts (bureom) with their teeth, believed to protect against skin boils through the year, drink a toast of cold wine said to keep the ears sharp, and eat a dish of five grains and dried vegetables. Fire has a large role: villages hold daljip taeugi, burning a tall pile of branches to mark the year's farm luck, and children swing cans of embers in jwibul-nori to burn off pests. Many of these customs have been revived as heritage festivals after fading in cities.

Entries tied to it

DaeboreumThe festival and its foods and games.Korean shamanismThe folk religion behind many of the wishes and fire rites.