Jeongwol Daeboreum Festival

A hundred and fifty foreign VIPs, including ambassadors, diplomats, their families, and foreign correspondents arrive in Incheon!

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[ENG]
[Interview : Ngovi Kitau, Ambassador Kenya] "I have to participate in the Lunar New Year Moon Festival".

[Interview : Manuel Lopez Trigo, Ambassador Costa Rica] "I know very little about the Lunar New Year".

Jeongwol Daeboreum [정월대보름], or the Great Full Moon Festival which is celebrated on January 15 on the lunar calendar, is one of Korea's biggest holidays. On Jeongwol Daeboreum[정월대보름], Koreans observed the brightest moon of the year since a long time ago.

[Interview : Kim Yun-hui, Visitor] "Jeongwol Daeboreum fosters solidarity in the region and drives out misfortunes. Our ancestors thought the first full moon of the Lunar New Year symbolized good luck".

[Interview : Bae Jun-seok, Visitor] "We wish for good harvest. It's also meant to drive out all misfortunes and bring in good luck".

Various seasonal customs and folk games are carried out on Jeongwol Daeboreum.

Foreign guests are animated by the performance of traditional Korean music.

Up next is tight-rope walking. A professional tight-rope walker stages a brilliant performance mid-air. The audience cannot help but marvel at his impressive skills.

[ENG]
[Interview : Genaro Ambia Minero, Ambassador of Military Attache Mexico] "Wow, it's really beautiful and very different from the things that we are actually seeing in our country. It's a very intense experience. We are really enjoying it. Thank you".

Jeongwol Daeboreum celebrates the first full moon of the Lunar New Year. Each custom is believed to hold a special meaning.

How much do these foreign participants know about these customs

[ENG]
[SOV]
[Interview : ] "No".

[Interview : ] "Kite-flying. This is campfire. This is praying".

Foreign participants join in the celebrations. First, they try kite-flying, which is believed to bring in good luck.

Then, they try tuho[투호], a royal court game of throwing arrows into a container, and learn traditional Korean percussion music.
Despite it being their first time, they find themselves fully immersed in the experience.

[ENG]
[Interview : Nicholas Tandi Dammen, Ambassador Indonesia] "This is unique. It's very unique, so I don't think we can find it in other countries".

[Interview : Jairo Lopez, Minister Costa Rica] "Very interesting. I thought it would be easy to move the head and move it around, but it wasn't. So I really appreciate that they're keeping the traditions. It's very nice".

There are traditional dishes you can't miss out on Jeongwol Daeboreum. A homemaker carefully prepares a table of ogokbap, or five-grains rice, and samsaek namul [삼색나물], or three-color vegetables. Koreans have traditionally enjoyed these dishes on Jeongwol Daeboreum to garner up energy for the new year.

[Interview : Byeon Yeong-a, Homemaker] "There's an old saying that eating ogokbap and samsaek namul on Jeongwol Daeboreum will keep you healthy throughout the year. So by eating them today, I wish that my family will stay healthy this year".

Foreign guests also try the delicious ogokbap and samsaek namul.

[ENG]
[SOV]
[Interview : ] "It's a full moon food that has all different kinds of color. You can see Korean potatoes. We normally eat it right before the full moon day".

Knowing the meaning behind each dish makes it even more flavorful.

[ENG]
[Interview : Abdullah Zawawi bin Tahir, Deputy chief Malaysia] "This is very good. It's healthy and keeps my stomach flat".

[Interview : Mmad Masameh, Second secretary
Jordan] "Actually, it tastes very good and the setting is very nice because it's colorful. I think it will be healthy also because there are so many vegetables included in this dish".

After dinner, they crack bureom [부럼], or a collection of nuts. The cracking noise is believed to drive out evil spirits.

[ENG]
[Interview : Genaro Ambia Minero, Assistant of Military Attache Mexico] "I don't know why you crack nuts. Is it for good luck"

[Interview : Sim Sang-suk, Director
Korean Etiquette Education Association] "The word bureom derives from"buseureom", which means boil. There's a traditional saying that if you crack bureom in your mouth, your teeth will become healthy and you won't suffer from boils all year long. There's another saying that the cracking noise will drive out evil spirits. That's why our ancestors cracked bureom on Jeongwol Daeboreum".

The highlight of Jeongwol Daeboreum is no doubt the burning of the daljip[달집], which refers to a large heap of straw and tree branches. People place their wish notes on the daljip and burn them together, believing that doing so will make their wishes come true.

[Interview : Kim In-ja, Visitor] "We burn daljip to wish for good health. It's the first major event in the Lunar New Year. It has been believed since a long time ago that burning daljip will bring us good health and make our wishes come true".

The full moon finally makes an appearance above the bonfire.

They wish that this year will be filled with fortune and health.

Each of them pray in earnest for their wishes to come true.

[Interview : Yu Eun-sang, Visitor] "I have a feeling that all my wishes will come true and my family will stay healthy this year".

[Interview : Jeong Hui-suk, Visitor] "I feel as if all the misfortunes are being burnt away along with daljip. I feel very invigorated".

[ENG]
[Interview : Ivans Bozdechoova, Professor of Czech Language & Linguistics Hankuk University of Foreign Studies] "The first full moon of the year, it makes me so happy. And it's so friendly and so open-hearted that I feel privileged and blessed. Thank you all very very much. And once again, very happy new year!"

[STUDIO]

I had no idea about that cracking sounds get rid of bad spirits.
And did you see that mound of peanuts in the office Yes it was for the Jeongwol Daeboreum[정월대보름] apparently you're supposed to crack the shells between your teeth.
I didn't hear too much of that. We have some very polite office mates.
But there were shells all over the place.
Well everybody hope you cast out the bad spirits and ushered in good ones. Stay with us.