Despite the fact that world society is Lately has changed significantly and is no longer the same as it was just a century ago, the traditions of Korea are still determined depending on the traditional Confucian structure of social relations.
The role of Confucianism in the country is still very important. Age and position in society are of great importance. Traditions South Korea, concerning relations in society, are indicated very clearly - the younger ones follow the wishes of the elders, and people from high social strata are authorities among ordinary citizens. This has always been the case in this country, and now such simple laws also apply, although it is worth noting that, compared to the earlier stages of the development of Korean culture, the features of such rules are now a little blurred. Therefore, before making acquaintance with a new person, South Koreans try to find out as much as possible about him. In order to determine their behavior with a certain person, Koreans learn about his marital status, age, and status. And they don’t ask these questions out of ordinary curiosity, although, of course, not everyone answers them honestly or even prefers to remain silent.
Traditions and customs of Korea. Attitude towards marriage.
To more clearly understand Korean culture, you need to know their attitude towards marriage.
A wedding is, without a doubt, the most important event in the life of every resident of this country. Divorce is a shame and a stigma for the rest of your life, and not only for spouses, but for all members of their families. Although, modern society is taking its toll and, despite harsh criticism from society, more and more married couples are officially breaking off their relationship.
Customs and traditions of South Korea. Behavior in society.
Residents of Korea are not very emotional people and it is not customary for them to hug or kiss when meeting. Usually, everything is limited to a handshake. However, once the relationship becomes closer, some familiarity is possible. It should be noted that Koreans have an extremely negative attitude towards girls who walk holding hands. So, in order to avoid misunderstandings when visiting Korea, it is better not to do this.
People who are in close relationships with each other may well touch their faces in a busy place - public morality in this country allows this. Although passionate kisses and hugs are still very obscene and well-mannered Koreans will not allow themselves to do this in crowded places.
Meals in Korea take place on the floor, so be sure to take off your shoes when visiting.
In the country it is not polite to be bare-legged in the presence of older people. In this case, you should always wear stockings or socks.
The norm of behavior in society is when visiting any establishment, everyone pays for themselves (shared), although if someone expresses a desire to pay for everyone, no one will object. Not so long ago, lunch or dinner in Korea had to take place in silence, but modern society It is acceptable to discuss something and laugh while eating.You always need to thank the hostess or owner for food, which is very highly valued.In Korea, you should not lure a person to you with your finger or palm facing up, since in this way only dogs attract attention in the country.
Holidays in Korea.
Thanksgiving is in mid-September.
Sokhonje is celebrated in March and September. Great amount people these days come to Confucian chapels. There you can see costumed rituals and hear traditional orchestras. The best place to attend such a holiday is Sungkyunkwan (Seoul University).
On the birthday of Buddha (May), lantern parades are held - a very spectacular spectacle. At the beginning of September, another significant Korean holiday falls - the Lunar Harvest Festival.Also this month you can visit National Festival Folk Arts and see how they celebrate Hanjongshik - a cultural holiday of Korea.
Hello, dear readers – seekers of knowledge and truth!
We continue the series of articles about the amazing and not yet fully explored Asian corners of our planet. Today our imagination will take us straight to Korea, and this article will help in such a difficult task.
We will learn a lot of interesting things about the traditions of South Korea: how a traditional family is built, what holidays people love most, how to behave in a decent society, what arrogant old ladies are called and what vice many Koreans suffer from. Good luck!
Family
South Korean habits and customs have evolved over many centuries. With the growth of urbanization, Europeanization, informatization and other difficult words things have changed somewhat, but the basics remain the same. They may seem logical, nice, correct, or, conversely, strange, paradoxical - it’s up to you to decide.
Family values
Family ties are the highest value for many in Korea. An unmarried man is not considered a full-fledged man.
Previously, three or four generations could live in a house. The older man was in charge. In general, a man had greater rights than a woman, but in order to avoid gender disputes, in the second half of the last century a bill was passed, according to which the son and daughter had equal rights in inheritance.
Nowadays, married couples usually live separately from their parents. The average young family – mother, father, one or two children. The relationship between spouses is strong, because when they divorce, they disgrace not only themselves, but also their relatives.
The wife usually keeps her maiden name, but the children take their father's last name. Koreans' first and last names are short, sonorous, and do not have phenomenal variety.
Most popular surnames:
- Kim - worn by every fifth Korean;
- Lee - every seventh;
Housing
Koreans' houses are called "hanok". It is built so that household members can enjoy unity with nature as much as possible and at the same time comfortably hide from the vagaries of the weather: summer heat, humidity and winter coolness.
Life is arranged in such a way that the family spends most of their time at home on the floor: this is where they eat, sleep, work, and have fun. Therefore, the interior is simple: mats or thin mattresses for sleeping, flat cushions for sitting, small folding tables for meals. main feature the house structure has a built-in “warm floor” system, which is indispensable in Korea.
Behavior in society
Respect for elders
Position in society is very important when social contacts. Therefore, don’t be surprised if Koreans you don’t know well start asking awkward questions: who are your parents, how old are you, where did you study, are you married. Don’t take it for impudence or tactlessness - this is how the locals determine how to communicate with you.
The main postulate of interpersonal communication is respect for elders and unquestioning submission to them.
Elderly people can deny themselves nothing and behave as they please. Sometimes this behavior leads to the point of absurdity, which, however, is considered the norm in Korea. The name of this “absurdity” is ajumma.
For example, representatives of the older generation are allowed everything. They will give grannies a head start in Russian public transport: they push, interrupt, jump in line, without a twinge of conscience they can speak out about young people, and if they don’t like something, they can even spit at them. What can young people do - just endure.
Bad habits
It cannot be said that the Koreans are leading healthy image life: many people devote the entire day to sedentary work, and then go to bars, restaurants, cafes, where they indulge in conversations with friends over a glass or two of something alcoholic. For the country as a whole, this is an impressive figure, which sometimes elevates Korea to the top position in the world in alcohol consumption.
However, even when drunk, young people behave surprisingly quietly, decorously and nobly.
Food in Korea is very spicy, and the most popular meat here is pork. It is usually fried on the table and eaten with a variety of appetizers. You can read more about Korean cuisine.
Moral standards
In Korea they are considered decent to the point of indecency short skirts, which cover practically nothing when climbing stairs. But at the same time, the slightest hint of cleavage will be the subject of the girl’s condemnation.
The concept of morality is rather vague: ordinary girls sacredly honor their marriage and love their one and only unique husband. At the same time, history has long known about the existence of local geishas - kisen.
They entertained the audience by playing musical instruments And acting skills, with their knowledge of literature and art, served food and drinks. It was believed that it was better for a gisaeng to be smart and have excellent conversational skills than for her to be beautiful. Probably, gisaengs could provide intimate services in exchange for money, but no one considered them prostitutes.
Kisaeng played an important role in Korean culture: They were the heroines of many novels, and in turbulent times they became nurses.
A few more interesting facts
- In Korea, you need to get used to bowing - this gesture accompanies greetings, farewells, and gratitude.
- Touching should be treated with caution - it is not allowed to touch unfamiliar people, women, only a light handshake is allowed.
- Shoes are taken off almost everywhere here.
- Blowing your nose in public is considered bad manners, while slurping is a compliment for the cook.
- Here they don’t apologize for trifles, for example, if one accidentally touched the other’s shoulder.
- It is not customary to hide your hands when talking.
- Red pens simply do not exist in Korea - writing in red spells disaster.
- Nine out of ten residents have vision problems, which is why there are so many people wearing glasses around.
- The time that the mother carried the fetus is counted towards the child’s age - so, the baby is already born at nine months.
- The new, “endemic” fashion has become plastic surgery, especially for eyelid correction. Parents often give surgery to young people – both girls and boys – as a gift when they reach adulthood.
Favorite holidays
Wedding procession
Despite all the progressive thinking of today's youth, they do not stop taking into account the opinions of their elders, so for a wedding they need the blessing of their parents. Moreover, a few days before the celebration, a feast reminiscent of matchmaking takes place.
European traditions seeped into Korean wedding fashion, only made it more unique and inimitable. Now the ceremonies are held in two stages: Western and traditional.
The wedding takes place in European style. The groom, dressed in a suit, enters the special hall for rituals, where guests have already gathered, followed by the bride and her father, dressed in a wedding dress. The ceremony lasting about thirty minutes is performed by someone familiar, for example, a close friend of the groom.
Main musical accompaniment- not the usual Mendelssohn march, but a Wagner march.
Later the newlyweds change into National costumes- hanboks, which cause a flurry of admiration among Westerners. The action continues with a meal in honor of the newly-made spouses; they are given gifts, mostly money. Then the young people go on a journey together.
First birthday
This event is called "tol chanchi". They begin to prepare for it much in advance, sometimes even before the baby is born. Many acquaintances come to the banquet, which is rarely held at home, and present the baby with generous gifts.
On this day, the fate of the new little person is determined to some extent. Objects are placed in front of him, and his life depends on which one he chooses. For example, by choosing grain, a child will always be well-fed, a book - smart, a skein of thread - long-lived.
New Year - Sollal
Koreans celebrate the first day of the year with the onset of the first lunar days first month. This date is never static, so every year it is celebrated on a new day.
At this time, the people are left to themselves and their families for three days. They put on hanboks, go to their parents, even if they live far away, and celebrate the New Year.
In Sollal, the Chere ceremony is often held - a holiday of remembrance of ancestors.
Rite of Remembrance
Chere is held on New Year's Day, Harvest Day and the anniversary of death. According to Korean beliefs, after death the soul of the deceased does not leave the earth, but protects his relatives for another four generations, as if being nearby.
To celebrate this event, people buy gifts, food in advance, set a rich table, or go to the cemetery. The event is accompanied by dancing girls and a parade of kites in the sky.
Conclusion
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In Korea they say that a family is born a second time with the birth of a child. Everyone is expecting the birth of a baby. Not only future parents, but also grandparents, uncles and aunts are involved in this event. Shopping, discussions, and preparations are often done together. Expectant mother It is customary to protect and cherish, especially if this is the first child. When I was pregnant, my Korean relatives surrounded me with such frantic care that at first I was even taken aback. I'm not used to such signs of attention. They fed me, clothed me, and let me listen to some classics.
At the same time, the husband’s mother-in-law and sister showed such zeal that even the husband somehow found himself on the sidelines. It is not for nothing that Koreans consider the year a child spends in the womb to be a full year of a person’s life. Therefore, age is calculated by adding a year to the date of birth.
The guardianship intensified at the hospital before the birth, where throngs of staff, including interns and other students, ran back and forth to ensure “my stay was comfortable.” Dads are now supposed to be with moms all the time. Therefore, there is a special couch for them in the ward so that they can spend the night in the hospital with the woman in labor.
After giving birth, the young mother is necessarily fed a special seaweed soup in beef broth. It is believed that Miyok-guk improves lactation and restores strength. Koreans say that female whales eat this algae after giving birth to their babies. People noticed this and decided to do the same. By the way, I really noticed the effect. I was fed this Miyeok-guk in the hospital. And when we were discharged, a huge pot of soup from my hospitable mother-in-law was already waiting for me at home.
seaweed soup.jpg
A young mother and newborn baby are always visited in the hospital. Relatives, friends and colleagues come and bring flowers, fruits and gifts. And here is the extract special significance does not have. They go home quietly, without unnecessary fanfare. The mother is supposed to rest for three weeks after giving birth. Eat, feed and sleep. Everything else will be done by other family members: parents, sisters, aunts. They also tried to send me to rest while my mother-in-law washed the diapers. However, here I will make a reservation: not every Korean mother-in-law will wash diapers. Usually, of course, it is the mother and sisters from the wife’s side who help, not the husband’s. But since my relatives were far away, my husband’s family considered it their duty to replace them for me.
Upbringing
Respect for elders and hard work are two basic principles on which Korean education is based. Life in a Korean family is unthinkable without observing a clear hierarchy. The younger ones obey the elders, the children obey their parents, the woman obeys the man. No matter how emancipated modern Korean women may be, they are last years have achieved considerable success in this area (suffice it to say that the recently elected president of Korea is a woman), but the head of the family remains a man.
There are many wives in Korea who find a lot of ways to twist ropes out of their husbands, but in public, the man-woman hierarchy will still be respected. From the early age Children are taught to address older family members using special forms of respect. The younger one cannot call the older one by name, much less address him as “you.” Even older brothers and sisters are usually called by the corresponding words: big brother (in Korean this is one word: women say “oppa”, men “hyung”) or big sister (women say “unnie”, men “noona”).
Calling by name is considered extremely impolite and even offensive. My children are the same age - they are 3 and 4 years old, but they have already been taught this rule. If a daughter calls her son by name, he immediately cuts her off and demands that she call him “oppa” (elder brother). Grandma, grandpa and dad do the same: “What are you doing? Is it possible to call your older brother by his name?”
By the way, I also never call my husband by name. He is a year older than me. And if I just call him Taegyu, I will insult both him and his family like crazy. As for the children, here we have a clear division: when they speak Russian, the daughter calmly calls her brother by name and he is not indignant. Once they switch to Korean, the use of a personal name becomes taboo. This does not mean that Koreans are some kind of ideal nation where the younger ones do not quarrel or argue with the elders. As in any human society, anything can happen here. And yet, for Koreans it is not easy speech etiquette, it's a way of thinking.
Korea has a lot of rules of politeness that express respect for elders. It is also very important that the child knows from an early age how important family is. “You can’t clap your hands with one hand,” the Koreans say. To be together, to maintain family ties and relationships, even if it is not easy, to realize that people need each other - they try to teach this in the family, in the garden, at school. Perhaps sometimes this turns into excessive “collectivism”, incomprehensible to Europeans, a depressing pressure of the public over the personal. Excess, even in what is good and right, can become a vice. But it seems to me that too often we try to make others fit our standards. What is difficult for a European may be a natural state for a person raised in Asia. In addition, respect for parents is considered something of a social duty. In Korea they say that those who treat their parents well will serve their country well.
In Korea, it is customary to pamper, praise and indulge children. It is a rare Korean mother who will teach her child to sleep in his own crib, allowing him to cry for several nights in a row. Even if there is nothing wrong with it. They would rather be carried in their arms or in slings and rocked. They try to calm the child by any means. Korean children (with the exception of very poor families) always have mountains of toys. Parents are selflessly turning their living rooms and bedrooms into one big playroom. Slides, swings, and children's playhouses are bought for home.
I know a couple of cases when mothers and fathers even agreed to spend the night in these houses, at the insistence of their kids. Although this is unlikely to help healthy sleep. Such preoccupation with the child, the absence of any healthy division of space in the house into children's and non-children's, is not very clear to me. On the other hand, on the contrary, they do not understand my boundaries. I often hear from Korean acquaintances that our house “does not look like a house where children live.” And all because we keep toys in the nursery and do not set up a branch out of the apartment kindergarten.
However, with all this, Korean parents demand a lot from their children. First of all, in terms of studies. Already in kindergarten, children have quite a lot of activities. At school, a cloudless childhood ends abruptly. After about 5th grade, the average Korean student's "routine" looks like this: school at 7:30 (school starts vary by different schools), after school additional classes and courses until 9-10 pm. Many children continue to study during the holidays.
In Korea, there have been discussions for many years that schoolchildren are overworked, deprived of their childhood, etc. But most parents still believe that this is all for the sake of the children and that it is necessary for them to succeed in life. Constant competition and constant struggle for survival. Is it possible to achieve success in life at the cost of your own health? Question in in this case rhetorical. However, the endurance and ability to work of Korean children is amazing. And besides, from such an upbringing they carry into life one clear and worthy rule - in order to live, you have to work.
According to the Confucian tradition, which established itself in Korea many centuries ago and still largely determines the way of thinking of Koreans, the birth of a son is simply a necessity for every married couple. Among other things, this, oddly enough, is connected with ideas about the afterlife. Only the son can perform memorial rites for the spirits of deceased parents. In modern Korea, this is a tribute to respect and memory. Few people believe in spirits. But in ancient times this was the most important ritual action - making sacrifices. Sacrifice is food for the spirits of ancestors. And a person who does not have a son may be doomed to eternal hunger in another world. Hence the special love of Koreans for boys. What good is a girl?
boys and girls in Korea.jpg
About 30-40 years ago, only the birthdays of sons were celebrated with big holidays in the family, while girls remained in the shadows. I will never forget how I was struck by an old family photo from my father-in-law’s album. In the photo, taken about 60 years ago, everyone is wearing traditional clothing. Grandfather (father-in-law) is a bearded and very respectable father of the family. Nearby are his wife and their children, almost all adults by then. Daughters hold their little sons on their laps. The babies are about a year old and all have a slit in their pants and their legs spread apart. That is, children sit with their genitals directly at the camera. Why? To proudly demonstrate to everyone that everyone already has a son!
Korean doctors are officially prohibited from telling parents the sex of their unborn child. It is believed that this is a kind of precautionary measure so as not to tempt people to get rid of unwanted daughters. However, in modern Korea this is an absolute exaggeration. Everyone I know adore their daughters, were waiting for them, and I simply cannot imagine someone having an abortion because of the sex of the child. Perhaps somewhere in a remote village. Yes, and there it is doubtful.
When I was pregnant with my second child, my husband really wanted a daughter and even told me, “You’ll keep giving birth until you give birth to a daughter.” I was lucky: we had a daughter. Older people view this somewhat differently. Our Korean grandparents love their grandchildren equally, but it feels like the grandson is more significant to them. They are more interested in his successes and activities. And they are clearly more proud of him. In addition, the boy is the successor of the family. They try to pass on family history and traditions to him. After marriage, a girl will belong to another family. Otherwise, the principles of raising boys and girls are not much different now.
girls in Korea.jpg
Family celebrations and rituals, even those in which women traditionally did not participate, now include everyone. In school and work, boys and girls are asked the same.
Just 10-15 years ago, most Korean mothers were housewives. The man was working and the woman was caring for the children. Considering that working in Korean means leaving home at 6-7 am and returning late in the evening, and with virtually no vacations, dads see their own children much less often than their work colleagues. Therefore, the main burden of worries associated with raising children fell on the mother. Today this situation is changing. A lot of Korean women work. This means that children are raised by kindergarten and grandmothers. In this sense, everything here is the same as everywhere else. The disadvantages of this state of affairs are obvious. But even if mom works, she always communicates more with the children and is closer to them than dad.
family in Korea.jpg
There is such a “family tradition” in Korea - to send the child to the mother for all questions, as soon as she appears at home. In Korea, there is a lot of talk about the fact that due to constant work and due to the frequent reluctance of fathers to tinker with their children during rare hours of rest (which is quite understandable), children practically do not know their fathers. Rarely does anyone have a truly close relationship with their dad. This is despite the fact that a lot depends on the father in the family. The final verdict on important family issues is usually made by dads. The better you know your child, the more likely it is that the decisions you make will benefit him. What if the father doesn’t actually know the child? How many right decisions will he make? However, here everything depends very individually on people, especially on mothers, who also have their own voice. My husband, for example, although he pushes all the everyday fuss with the children onto me, he does not believe that “children are a mother’s business.” In the evenings and on weekends, he tries to talk with them, read their diaries from the garden, build a construction set with his son, or ride a bike with him. Anything is possible if you have the will.
Grandparents by default occupy the highest position in the Korean family hierarchy. They are always addressed (or should be addressed) using only special respectful forms of speech. Even for very common words like "home", for example, in Korean there are several variations depending on who you are talking about. When we say about ourselves that we are going home, we say “zhip.” When we go to grandma's house, we say "tek".
In front of grandparents, you should not yell at the child or swear. In general, you should behave with restraint and dignity. This is not always observed, but according to tradition it should be so. Korean grandparents tend to take an active part in the lives of their grandchildren. Everyone, one way or another, helps in education. The grandparents of my husband's generation, who are now in their 80s, are clearly more interested in grandchildren from their sons. My husband's grandmother has six children and twelve grandchildren. But it’s immediately clear that she is much less interested in her daughters’ grandchildren.
Until now, grandparents on mom's side and dad's side are called differently. On my father’s side they are called “natural grandparents,” and on my mother’s side, literally translated, “external,” that is, those who do not belong to this family. However, in modern Korea, it is precisely these same “external” grandmothers who sit with their grandchildren more - they help their daughters.
In addition to all the everyday fuss, grandparents always give their grandchildren wise instructions during traditional holidays, they tell family stories. In addition, it is grandmothers who preserve one of the most important Korean traditions- family recipe for making kimchi. This is a traditional dish made from very spicy sauerkraut(we call this variety Beijing salad) with the addition of daikon, garlic and spices. For Koreans, kimchi is the heart and soul of their entire cuisine! It is simply impossible to imagine a daily meal without kimchi in Korea. This dish is prepared once a year. And it is the grandmothers who rule the action.
I often wonder what will happen to this tradition when the grandmothers are gone. It seems very unlikely that modern Korean women, at least in cities, accustomed to good supermarkets and other amenities, would bother themselves with such work.
Globalization, computerization, education - very effective ways fight against superstitions. Traditional beliefs now seem ridiculous to many. Surely some new types of superstitions are emerging, but they are not so interesting. For example, will you ever see a mirror in front of the entrance to a yard or a house? And in the past they often did this to scare away evil spirits. The spirit will see itself in the mirror, how scary it is, will get scared and fly away. Oh, if only evil people could also be scared away.
Most Koreans today are practical modern people and there are few superstitions in their lives. One of the most common is the fear of the number “4”. The fact is that Chinese character denoting the number "4", is read the same as the word "death". Together with the hieroglyphs from China, this superstition also came to Korea. Until now, in many buildings, instead of “4th floor”, they write “F floor”. Some superstitions are associated with gifts. Let's say you can't give shoes to your beloved (or lover). He will run away. Children must be protected from evil eyes. My mother-in-law once taught me that I shouldn’t say that a child is heavy. This will make him sick.
It is made from tteok rice cakes in a broth made from beef bones and brisket. Koreans say that whoever eats tteokguk New Year“ate another year,” that is, he became a year older. Therefore, a person’s age does not change on his birthday, but with the advent of the new year according to the lunar calendar.
Each holiday has its own fruit. In Seollal, it is customary to eat apples and tangerines; a special variety of tangerines from Jeju Island is especially good. They are called hallabung (after the name main mountain islands - Halla volcano). In the fall, during the Juseok celebration, people usually eat bae, a type of pear. The most important meal during Seollal (Lunar New Year) is the festive breakfast. “Sebe” is performed in front of him - bows of all family members to older relatives. They must be performed by dressing in traditional Korean clothing “hanbok”. But usually only children wear it. Today, few adults change into hanbok at home. Although Koreans love their traditional costume very much and always wear it on special occasions.
After a bow and a few parting words, the elders give the children “sebeton,” that is, “New Year’s money.” Giving children gifts for the Lunar New Year is not very common. But they definitely give money. In ancient times in Korea there was a belief that on New Year's Day the spirits of deceased ancestors visit their relatives. Therefore, on this day, all members of the family, including those who have already died, gather around the family hearth. This is where the tradition of holding the rite of ancestor worship - “chesa” - took place on the first day of the new year. Today, not everyone does it. IN Christian families people like my family, Seollal are usually greeted without this ritual. But we observe all other traditions, as expected. On holidays, people often gather for traditional games. Children chase Pyongyi tops through the streets (they are spun using special whips). My Korean family loves it very much card game grab. They can sit behind it until the morning. And I love “yunnori”. It is played in teams. Participants take turns throwing special dice and moving chips on the playing field in accordance with the points received. It would seem that it could not be simpler. But the game is very exciting. Because of unusual shape Rolling the Yunnori dice is not that easy.
During traditional holidays, many people go out to fly a kite. Very often I see grandfathers flying kites with their grandchildren. Making such a kite is an art.
In Korea, it is also customary to celebrate a child’s first birthday in a grand manner (more details -). And there is a lot to do with this family traditions. Baby and parents change into clothes traditional clothes"hanbok". Many guests are gathering. Usually holidays are held in special centers where everything is prepared for this. There are specially decorated halls, hosts, and refreshments. The culmination of the holiday is the determination of the child’s fate. However, today this is just a symbolic game. Various objects are placed on the table in front of the child: threads, rice grains, money, a pencil or notebook. Each item is a symbol of the future that awaits the child. The child is asked to choose and take one of them. If he grabs the money, it means he will be rich; if he grabs the threads, there will be long life, choosing a book, notebook or pencil means that the child will be capable of science and become a scientist, rice cereal is a “full cup”, life is prosperous. We celebrated the children's birthdays at home, but did not give up this tradition. Except birthday important date in the life of a Korean baby is 100 days. On this day they do family photos, give gifts and order special rice cakes “tteok”. They are treated to relatives, acquaintances, and neighbors. It is believed that if one hundred people eat this tteok, the child will have a long and happy life.
The cultural component of a particular country is a very serious subject to study, especially before traveling. Each nation has its own traditions and customs, its own prohibitions and beliefs. The same gesture different countries can be interpreted in completely different ways, and if you can put up with comical situations, but no one will tolerate insults from visitors. If you are planning a holiday in , now is the time to get to know its culture.
Fundamental principles of South Korean culture
In 1948, one large state, Korea, was divided into the DPRK and the Republic of Korea. After this, the culture of each country began to develop in different ways, but they have the same origins and roots. In particular, the behavior of society is based on the principles of Confucianism, which were developed in China in 500 BC.
From a young age, Koreans instill in their children love and respect for parents, family, and those in authority. Great importance is attached to such concepts as justice, honesty, humanism, peace and education. IN modern culture South Korea, on this basis, developed a model of behavior called the Rule of Five Relationships. In particular, it provides for certain norms in communication between father and son, husband and wife, older and younger generations, ruler and subject, and between friends.
Tourists who come to this country on holiday often fall out of this pattern of behavior. Therefore, sometimes it seems that Koreans are rude and ignorant. But in fact, until you enter into one of these types of relationships, you may simply not be noticed.
It is because of the Rule of Five Relationships that Koreans can sometimes ask somewhat awkward and personal questions. But if local interested in your marital status or age, do not rush to be rude in response - he is simply trying to determine by what rules he should interact with you.
Selected manifestations of South Korean culture
Understanding the fundamental principles of building relationships between Koreans, it will be interesting to consider more specific manifestations of their behavior patterns. In particular, these are:
- Respect for elders. In Korea, it is customary that young people and those of lower rank are obliged to follow the wishes and instructions of their elders without any objections.
- Attitude towards marriage. Koreans consider marriage to be one of the most important event in life. Divorce, on the contrary, is interpreted as a huge and indelible shame.
- Names. Among residents of the CIS countries, it is common practice for a wife to take her husband’s surname. In South Korea, they adhere to different traditions - the wife keeps her surname, but their common children inherit family name father.
- Public quarrels. Angry and offended women are everywhere. This mixture turns out to be especially explosive if such a woman is also elderly. In South Korea, there are quite often these types of grandmothers who can show their dissatisfaction not only verbally, but also physically. No matter how offensive it may be, you cannot react to this, even if you are provoked. It's best to just step aside.
- Handshake. People who are equal in status or who are on friendly terms use the familiar form of handshake. But if one of them is of lower rank or younger, then he is obliged to shake the outstretched hand with both hands. Quite often the greeting is supplemented with a bow. The older and the higher in status a person is, the deeper they bow to him.
- The boss is always right and cannot be denied. Surprisingly, this rule applies to almost all areas of life. You can't even refuse an offer to drink. Therefore, if the boss is an alcoholic, it is easier to change jobs than to give a refusal.
South Korean traditions
The culture and traditions of South Korea are closely intertwined, because one follows the other. However, with the passage of time and globalization moving by leaps and bounds, any open society undergoes some kind of change. But there are fundamental beliefs that are revered at all times. In relation to South Korea, the following traditions, customs and:
- Chere, or rite of remembrance of ancestors. According to Korean beliefs, after death a person’s soul goes to another world only after a change of 4 generations. And throughout this period he is a full-fledged member of the family, who, according to legend, cares for and protects the entire family from bad weather.
- Hanbok, or traditional clothing. It is what Koreans wear on special days such as Lunar New Year, Harvest Day, or wedding ceremonies.
- In relation to marriage, Koreans have skillfully created a model that combines both modern tendencies, and traditional rituals. Today, a Korean wedding is divided into two parts: first there is a ceremony according to Western European style, with a white dress, veil and tuxedo for the groom, and after the newlyweds dress in traditional outfits and go to a special room for lunch with their parents.
- Sollal, or Lunar New Year. This holiday is celebrated on the first day lunar calendar. It is customary to celebrate it with family, remembering ancestors, preparing special dishes and dressing up in hanbok.
- Chuseok, or Harvest Day. Fifteenth day of the eighth month eastern calendar Koreans devote it to remembering their ancestors and thanking the gods for food.
Note to tourists
In order not to get into trouble when communicating with a Korean, or to avoid incurring the wrath of law enforcement officials, a tourist in South Korea should remember a few rules:
- Watch your gestures. Calling someone with your palm up or beckoning with your finger is considered offensive.
- You should take off your shoes when entering a Korean home, but walking on the floor without socks is considered bad manners.
- Public displays of affection between a couple, be it kissing or hugging, are considered indecent in Korean society, but displays of friendship are quite acceptable.
- Smoking in public places is strictly prohibited, and enforcement of this rule is closely monitored by the police.
- You cannot pierce food with chopsticks and leave them directly on the plate, especially when visiting - the hostess may take this as an insult.
Korea is a peninsula in Southeast Asia, divided into political map to North Korea and South Korea. The political and social structures of the two states are radically different, but the thousand-year-old culture is alive throughout the Korean people.
The life of every Korean in this culture is divided into 4 stages or “4 tables”. It's true family holidays, designed to unite relatives.
Birth of a child
The first table is the first anniversary of the little Korean’s life; only after this date is the child considered “accepted” into this life. This date is celebrated magnificently, almost like a wedding. It is believed that whatever the holiday of the first table will be, such will be the whole subsequent life of the child. In the morning, a table is set for the baby, on which various items and food are laid out: stationery, money, kitchen utensils, bread, rice and more. The first three items that the little one takes will determine his life.
Wedding
The second table is marriage. Attitude to family life Koreans are not like in Western culture. Here marriage is considered sacred and concluded for life. Divorce in traditional Korean culture is an unheard of shame. Korean weddings involve a matchmaking process; it is conducted by the groom's senior relatives. Having agreed among themselves, the parents organize an engagement, which consists of demonstrating the financial capabilities of the future husband to the bride’s relatives. On the wedding day, the groom must give a ransom for the bride, after which everyone sits down at the table in the bride's house and hands the dowry to the groom. After this, the young couple goes to the house of the future husband, stepping over a bag of rice, where the young wife, in the name of peace, looks together with her mother-in-law in the mirror brought from home. The celebration is celebrated magnificently, with a large number of invited guests. Gifts are usually money in envelopes. No holiday is complete without karaoke.
Anniversary 61 years
The third table is hwangab - the celebration of the 61st anniversary, the first year after the completion of the 60-year zodiac cycle. This is another important milestone in the life of a Korean. In Asian cultures, particularly Korean, it is customary to treat the oldest members of society with special respect. This holiday is traditionally organized by adult children for their parents. All relatives gather to honor the hero of the day. The hero of the occasion sums up the years he has lived, evaluates how correctly he behaved and what actions he performed.
Funeral
The last table in Korean culture is a funeral and commemoration of the deceased. All adult members of the family and relatives are involved in this sad event, as at all previous tables. Children take on the main concerns - this is their last tribute to their parents. After the body is buried, the clothes of the deceased are burned and a funeral dinner is held, which is repeated the next day. Once again the relatives gather for a funeral after 2 years. After this, mourning for the deceased is lifted.
Behavior rules
Koreans great importance give age and social status person. The entire social hierarchy is built on this basis. Young people here always treat their elders with respect.
Residents of Korea for the most part are polite and quiet. You can often see girls holding hands on these streets. Such a manifestation of friendship is considered quite normal. But lovers should not show their feelings in public places - it is considered obscene. When entering a Korean home, you should always take off your shoes.
Kitchen
The gastronomic preferences of the inhabitants of the peninsula are not particularly demanding. Traditional Korean food consists of rice, seafood and vegetables. Recently, meat has been appearing more and more on Korean tables.
Kimjang is a tradition of preparing kimchi – sauerkraut – for the winter. The recipe for this pickling is passed down from elders to younger family members. It is impossible to imagine the traditional table of an ordinary family without kimchi.