What is Jeongweol Daeboreum (정월대보름)?
Today is the 15th day of the first month in the lunar calendar, known as Jeongweol Daeboreum (정월대보름) in Korea. In Taiwan, it is celebrated as the Lantern Festival.
Meaning of Jeongweol Daeboreum
Jeongweol (정월): The first month of the year.
Dae (대): Big or great.
Boreum (보름): The 15th day of the lunar month, which marks the full moon.
Thus, Jeongweol Daeboreum means "The Great Full Moon of the First Month."
Traditions and Customs
Moon Viewing: People watch the rising full moon and make wishes for good fortune.
The Sale of Heat (더위 팔기): A playful tradition where people call a friend’s name and, when they respond, say they have "sold" their summer heat to them. It is believed to help one stay cool in the coming summer.
Gwibalgi-sul (귀밝이술): Drinking a small cup of cheongju (청주, refined rice wine) in the morning is believed to improve hearing and bring good luck. It is also called Imyeongju (이명주, 耳明酒), which means "ear-clearing wine."
Wait for your friend to respond after calling their name.Traditional Foods of Jeongweol Daeboreum
1. Yak-sik / Yak-bap (약식 / 약밥)
Yak (약) means medicine, and bap (밥) means steamed rice. This sweet rice dish, made with glutinous rice, honey, chestnuts, pine nuts, and jujubes, has a royal history dating back to the Silla Kingdom.
The Legend of Yak-sik
King Soji of Silla (r. 479–500) once received a mysterious message from a crow, warning him of an assassination plot. Following the message, he discovered and prevented an attempt on his life. In gratitude, he declared Jeongweol Daeboreum as Crow Day and ordered rice to be prepared for the crows using valuable ingredients. Over time, this dish became a special treat for the festival.
For those who couldn’t afford the ingredients for Yak-sik, Ogok-bap became the alternative.
2. Ogok-bap (오곡밥)
O (오, five) + gok (곡, grains) + bap (밥, steamed rice)
This is a nutritious multigrain rice made from five traditional grains:
Sweet rice (찹쌀)
Sorghum (수수)
Millet (조)
Red beans (팥)
Black beans (검은콩)
Since Jeongweol Daeboreum is a festival deeply connected to farming, eating these grains symbolizes a wish for a bountiful harvest.
3. Bureom (부럼) – Nut Cracking for Good Health
Bureom refers to hard-shelled nuts such as:
Peanuts (땅콩)
Walnuts (호두)
Ginkgo nuts (은행)
Pine nuts (잣)
Cracking these nuts with one's teeth is believed to strengthen them and prevent skin boils for the year.
4. Mugeun-namul (묵은 나물) – Preserved Vegetables for Summer Heat
Mugeun (묵은) means "aged," and namul (나물) refers to seasoned mountain greens. These are sun-dried herbs that were preserved during the previous summer. People believed eating Mugeun-namul would help them stay cool in the summer due to its high nutritional value.
