Everything about South Korean culture and customs. Korea - customs and traditions

Despite what is happening in Lately changes, the traditional Confucian structure of social relations still largely determines the behavior of Koreans.

Respect for elders

Age and social status matter great importance. It is believed that those who are younger in age or lower in rank social status are obliged to follow the wishes of their elders without objection. That's why people in Korea often ask about age, marital status a person in order to determine his position in relation to this person. These questions are not asked out of idle curiosity. However, you don't have to answer them if you don't want to.

Names

Among the most common Korean surnames include the following: Kim (21% of all Koreans), Lee (14%), Park (8%), Choi (or Choi), Chon, Chan, Han, Lim, etc. Korean name consists of a surname generally of one syllable and a given name as such usually of two syllables. Last name comes first. Women in Korea do not take their husband's surname after marriage, but their children take their father's surname.

Marriages

In Korea, marriage is traditionally considered the most important event in life, and divorce is a shame not only for former spouses, but also for their families. Despite this, the divorce rate has been rising sharply in recent years. The modern wedding ceremony is somewhat different from the traditional one. First, a Western-style ceremony is held in the wedding palace or church. It shows the bride and groom dressed in a tuxedo and Wedding Dress. Then on the same day (and usually in the same place) a traditional wedding ceremony is held in a separate room, during which the newlyweds are dressed in traditional Korean costumes.

Chere (rite of remembrance of ancestors)

According to traditional Korean beliefs, when a person dies, his soul does not immediately go to another world, but only after four generations. During this time, the deceased is considered a member of the family. On holidays such as Seollal (Lunar New Year) or Chuseok (Harvest Day), as well as on the day of death of the deceased, his descendants perform a rite of remembrance. Koreans believe that they can live happily thanks to the care of their departed ancestors.

Rules of behavior and gestures

Koreans place great importance on greetings and words of gratitude. They are always pronounced with a slight bow. The depth of the bow depends on the relative position of the speakers. Koreans do not like excessive displays of emotion and usually limit direct physical contact to a polite handshake. However, as your relationship becomes closer, greater familiarity may occur.

Foreigners in Korea are often surprised to see girls walking hand in hand. Touching between people of the same sex who are in close friendships is completely acceptable in Korea. Public displays of affection between different genders, such as kissing and hugging, are not as rare these days as they used to be, but continue to be considered obscene.

Traditionally, Koreans sit, eat and sleep on the floor. Therefore, when entering a Korean home, you should always take off your shoes. In Korea, it is considered rude to be bare-legged in the presence of elders, so it is recommended to always wear socks or stockings when visiting a Korean family.

Among younger generation Koreans consider it quite normal to contribute, but it often happens that one of the group of friends or colleagues pays. In Korea it used to be considered impolite to talk while eating, but these days it is acceptable to talk and laugh at the table.

Words of gratitude for Tasty food and good service are always gladly received. It is considered rude to blow your nose at the table.

In Korea, it is not customary to call someone with your palm facing up or beckon with your finger.. Dogs are usually called with such gestures in Korea. If you want to call someone over, do it with your hand, palm facing down.

Hanbok

Hanbok has been the traditional clothing of Koreans for thousands of years. The beauty and grace of Korean culture is perfectly conveyed in photographs of Korean women wearing hanbok. Before Western-style clothing appeared in Korea about 100 years ago, hanbok was casual clothes Koreans.

Men wore jeogori (jacket) and paji (pants), while women wore jeogori and chhima (skirt). Nowadays, hanbok is dressed only in formal and holidays such as wedding day, Seollal (Lunar New Year) or Chuseok (Harvest Day).

Ondol

Rooms in traditional house do not have a clearly defined purpose. For example, there are no rooms that are used as, say, a dining room or a bedroom. Depending on the need, the same room can be used both as a dining room (in this case a small folding table is placed there) and as a bedroom (in this case a mattress is laid in the room).

Most Koreans prefer to sit and sleep on the floor on special mats or mattresses. Rooms in a Korean house have a special heating system ondol, built into the floor. Previously, rooms were heated by hot air that circulated through pipes in the clay floor. Nowadays water heating is used: hot water circulates through pipes built into a cement floor covered with linoleum or other material.

Gimjang

Gimjang is a centuries-old tradition of preparing kimchi for the winter, passed down from generation to generation. Different pickled vegetables(mostly collard greens), called kimchi in Korea, are prepared for future use in late autumn. It is simply impossible to imagine a Korean table without this dish.

Eastern medicine

In Eastern medicine, it is believed that all diseases are caused by a decrease in vital energy and weakening of the body's immune system, i.e. not the dysfunction of any particular organ, but an imbalance of vital forces in the body as a whole. Therefore, Eastern medicine strives to treat diseases by strengthening the immune system and restoring harmony in the body, and not by eliminating pathogenic factors.

The main methods of Eastern medicine include treatment medicinal herbs, acupuncture (acupuncture), moxibustion with wormwood and cupping.

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.

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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. Be together, support family connections and relationships, even if it’s 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 dedicatedly 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 promote 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 “doesn’t 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 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?

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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.

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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 looking after 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.

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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. There is a lot of talk in Korea about how... permanent job 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 absolutely ordinary words, such as "house", for example, in Korean there are several variants depending on who we're 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 accept Active participation in the lives of 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 - the family recipe for making kimchi. This a traditional dish 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 table 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 ate tteokguk on New Year's Day has “ate another year,” meaning he has become a year older. Therefore, a person’s age does not change on his birthday, but with the onset of the new year. 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 and be sure to dress him specially 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 like my family, Seollal is 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 into the streets to run paper 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. Place it on the table in front of the child various items: thread, rice grains, money, 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, the choice of a book, notebook or pencil means that the child will be capable of science and become a scientist, rice cereal - “ full bowl"life is abundant. We celebrated our children's birthdays at home, but we 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.

Korea is very ancient country. Despite historical changes, the culture and life of Koreans is determined by the Confucian system of relations.

Respect for elders

Social status and age mean a lot to Koreans when communicating. The wishes of elders must be fulfilled unquestioningly. That is why Koreans who are younger in age or social status fulfill the requests of their elders without objection. It is not surprising that when meeting people, questions are often asked about their personal life, work, age, and education. They are needed to determine the status of the interlocutor. Respect for elders is common among Koreans of all ages, including children and youth.

Names

A Korean's full name consists of a surname and a given name. The surname usually has one and the given name has two syllables. Married women they do not change their surname, but their children are given their father’s surname.

Rite of remembrance of ancestors (chere)

Koreans believe that after death, the soul lives in this world for four generations. During this time, the deceased person is considered a family member. The ceremony is carried out for Lunar New Year or Harvest Day and definitely in day of death. Koreans believe that the deceased protect their loved ones from misfortune.

Marriages

An important event for a Korean is marriage. A single man cannot be considered an adult. Divorce- This is a shame for the families of the husband and wife. The wedding ceremony is first performed in Western style. The bride and groom put on the toxido and wedding dress. Traditional wedding ceremony carried out on the same day. The newlyweds dress in national wedding costumes.

Rules of conduct, gestures

Words of gratitude are always pronounced with a bow. The degree of bow depends on the status of the interlocutor. Koreans are very reserved; they do not accept hugs, only a polite handshake. Touching between Koreans of the same sex is acceptable. For example, female friends walking down the street and holding hands are not surprising. Showing affection and kissing in public is considered indecent behavior. When entering a house, Koreans always take off their shoes. According to tradition, they sleep, eat and sit on the floor. When visiting, be sure to wear socks. Showing bare legs to elders is indecent. In a restaurant or cafe, someone pays for the food alone, but young people pay together. It is indecent to blow your nose at the table, serve something with one hand, or leave chopsticks in a bowl of rice. You can call a person only with your hand, the palm of which is facing down. With the palm of the hand facing upward, they call the dogs; it is indecent to beckon with a finger. Koreans are very hard-working people. They are often late at work. Many shops, markets and restaurants are open 24 hours a day. After work, colleagues go to dinner somewhere. It's cheaper than cooking at home. Koreans don't drink a lot of strong drinks. This is mainly local low-alcohol vodka. They never get rowdy and are not late for work in the morning. In Korea, it is not customary to apologize. If a Korean accidentally pushes someone or steps on someone’s foot, he will not apologize, but will simply move on. The point is that he doesn't want the person to feel awkward. After all, in response to an apology, he will have to say something.

Hanbok

Hanbok- this is Korean National Costume. Before the arrival of Western fashion on the peninsula, hanbok was casual wear. Men wore trousers and a jacket, and women wore a skirt and jacket. Modern Koreans wear hanbok for holidays and weddings.

Ondol

Ondol- This is a heating system built into the floor. At home, Koreans prefer to sit, sleep and eat on the floor. The rooms are universal. If it’s time to sleep, they lay out a mattress or mats, and it’s time for dinner, they put up a folding table. Previously, hot air was used to heat the house, which passed through pipes built into the clay floor. IN modern houses use water heating. Circulating through pipes in the floor, hot water heats the room. The floors are covered with linoleum and other modern materials.

Kimchi

Kimchi- This ancient tradition preparing kimchi for the winter. It is impossible to imagine Korean cuisine without kimchi. This dish consists of pickled vegetables. Chinese cabbage is most often fermented. Kimchi is a very spicy snack, like all Korean cuisine.

Eastern medicine

The principle of Eastern medicine is the harmonization of the human biofield. It is believed that if any organ hurts, it means that the balance of energies in the body is disturbed. Treatment is aimed at increasing immunity and restoring energy channels. Eastern medicine treats with herbs, aromas of essential oils, acupuncture, massage. Koreans have a very peaceful character. They are friendly, have a philosophical approach to life, and know and respect their traditions.

Korea is a peninsula in South-East Asia, divided by political map to North Korea and South Korea. The political and social structures of the two states are radically different, but thousand-year-old culture is alive in all 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 celebration 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, etc. 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 one 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 attach great importance to 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 show their feelings in in public places don't - it's 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.

Culture North Korea simultaneously complex and diverse. The fact that communism dominates here has preserved the traditions and customs of the country. At the same time, the state strives to develop art and culture. At the same time, no matter what is done, the idea can be traced everywhere that the DPRK is best country. And importantly, North Korean culture is not influenced by the West.

Initially, society is based on respect for elders - including parents. Every resident of the country reveres power and justice - it was precisely due to these foundations that communism was able to take root. In Korea, all religions are considered a relic of the past, but, nevertheless, Buddhism and Christianity function normally in the country, and believers are not oppressed. Respect for elders is manifested in many areas. For example, elders have no less powers than local leaders. War veterans are exempt from everyday chores, but you can still often see them in the fields, because... they do not use these benefits.

The Korean ideology says that one must work for the benefit of children, but what is this connected with?

This may be due to the fact that the minimum age for marriage is 22 and 24 years, but there are a number of restrictive additions. In addition, one of the factors that often prevents marriage is that young people are not ready for marriage. financially, and without this the authorities do not allow you to get married. To begin with, a minimum capital is accumulated, and then you can hold a wedding ceremony, although such events are quite ruinous.

Children are treated with trepidation. Children always look well-groomed and neat - and the wealth of their parents should not affect this in any way. It is worth noting that strollers are not used here - and children are carried in special slings on the back or chest. In the country you can see many playgrounds existing and under construction, sports complexes. There are many clubs where children can show their Creative skills. At the same time, they are not making a show of it, but are really trying for the benefit of the children. Children are not punished, as is customary in Western countries. Children are raised on patriotism and respect for elders. Therefore, in Korea you can constantly see children helping grandmothers cross the road or carry bags. But children are not praised for such good deeds, because for them this is considered the norm.

Advice

Every passenger gives up his seat to a woman with a child on the bus; everyone is interested in his successes and what he plans to do in the future. Children are a favorite topic, do not miss the chance to communicate with these people.

Korean character

Koreans are a reserved nation. People communicate in a calm and even tone, and this is considered a sign of respect. Here it is not customary to laugh loudly, swear or kiss in public. Especially with the older generation. Koreans are quite friendly and will be happy to chat, but then they may suddenly remember about urgent matters. The fact is that direct contact with a foreigner is not particularly encouraged here.

Greetings

Welcome to Korea friend friend easy half-bow. This half-bow expresses respect for the interlocutor, and does not detract from self-esteem. When meeting, they can also shake each other’s hands, and it can be both the left and right hand. They try not to look into the eyes, because... this can be regarded as psychological pressure. Don’t be surprised if someone pushes you or steps on your foot and doesn’t apologize, it’s not accepted here. Gifts are not given, but placed at the entrance to the house - this and the previous point are related to not embarrassing a person. It is also not customary to thank people who do you a favor.

Conclusion:

Communism, patriotism and respect for elders reign in Korea. They treat children with special respect. Outwardly, it may seem that Koreans are not friendly people, because... they do not have the usual traditions, as they do in most countries. But this does not happen because they treat someone badly, but simply so as not to embarrass the person in a given situation.