To mark the first full moon of the lunar new year, the National Folk Museum of Korea on Feb. 26 will livestream the festival Jeongwol Daeboreum on its official YouTube channel.
The event falls on the 15th day of the lunar calendar's first month, or the day of the first full moon. Koreans have traditionally admired a full moon and wished for a plentiful and successful year ahead, with this traditional folk festival featuring various celebrations.
At home, families eat five-grain rice and seasoned vegetables and drink gwibalgisul, or ear-sharpening rice wine. As a community, townspeople pile sheaves of rice into a long pole in a tradition called byeotgaritdae, which farmers perform in the hope of a bountiful harvest.
Other festivities include performances by the traditional farmer's band jisinbapgi and the ritual daljip taeugi, which literally means "burning the moon house." The rite has young villagers build a "house" with straw, pine needles and tree branches to set on fire when the moon begins to rise.
The cones on the byeotgaritdae pole contain grains such as wheat, barley, millet, beans and red beans. Once the pole is up and people make their wishes for a plentiful harvest, the band parades around the village performing music and dance as an offering to the household deity for good fortune.
This year, the museum has prepared this event in the style of Chungcheongnam-do Province.
The festival will be aired live on the museum's YouTube channel on Feb. 26 at 1:30 p.m. Korean Standard Time (https://www.youtube.com/user/tnfmk).
A rendition of the Bukcheong Lion Dance Drama, a mask play traditionally performed on the day of the full moon, will be broadcast that day at 9 a.m.
By Kim Hyelin and Lee Hana (www.korea.net)
