My post of August 10 included
Ruth Hoy's description of dressing up and visiting Chinese relatives for the
New Year. The beginning of the Lunar New Year (January 28 in 2017) is also an
important holiday in Korea, celebrated by playing games, flying kites, and riding
on seesaws. This three-day holiday is primarily a family time when people
travel back to their hometown and visit relatives. They dress up in traditional Korean clothing.
Ordinary clothing was usually white or other muted colors, but holiday clothing,
especially that of children, was more colorful. Children participate in a
ritual (sebae) with deep bows to elders and wishes for good fortune. Grandparents and other elders give the young
children money while parents usually give rice cakes or fruit. The children put the gifts in a “lucky pouch”
or bokjumeoni. Children will also write
their wishes on a slip of paper and place it inside a pouch. These small bags or purses are used because
traditional Korean garments do not contain pockets.
Although Koreans were using
embroidery as early as 108 CE, it has not been as significant form in Korea as
it is in China. Embroidery was used on some garments for leaders and for
brides, but mostly on accessories such as these pouches. Pouches for children were
often embroidered with good luck characters or symbols. Brides embroidered longevity symbols on
pouches for their mother-in-laws. Today, the designs are often printed.
By
Martha Fraundorf, Volunteer for Benton County Historical Society, Philomath,
Oregon
No comments:
Post a Comment