| Doljanchi | |
 | |
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 돌or 돌잔치or 돐or 돐잔치 |
| Revised Romanization | dol or doljanchi |
| McCune–Reischauer | tol or tolchanchi |
Dol or doljanchi is a Korean tradition that celebrates the first birthday of a baby. [1] This ceremony blesses the child with a prosperous future and has taken on great significance in Korea. The birthday babies wear a hanbok and a traditional hat:a jobawi or gulle for baby girls and a bokgeon or hogeon (호건) for baby boys.
In the past,the death rates for children were high and many children died before their first birthday,so it was an important milestone for the baby and parents. The whole village used to celebrate a baby's first birthday,sharing food and wishing for long life and fortune for the baby. It could also define who they would be when they grow older.
The highlight of the dol (돌) is a custom called the doljabi (돌잡이) where the child is placed in front of a table of foods and objects such as string,paint or calligraphy brushes,ink,and money. The child is then urged to pick up an object from the table. It is believed the one selected will foretell the child's future. For example,if the child picks up a paint/calligraphy brush or book,they are destined to be smart. If they pick up money,they will be wealthy;if they pick up food,they will not be hungry. If the child picks up the thread,it is believed they will live a long life. These items were used by most households in the past.
The types of objects placed on the table for the baby to choose from have evolved over time as a reflection of society's evolving perception of successful occupations. However,there are many parents who remain more traditional in their selection of objects to place on the table. A sea of items could be used to create a modern doljabi set whereas specific items are necessary to create a traditional doljabi set. Doljabi is followed by feasting,singing,and playing with the toddler. Most often,guests will present gifts of money,clothes,or gold rings to the parents for the child at this time.
At home family members give thanks to Samshin (three gods who are believed to take care of the baby's life while growing up) by serving plain rice,seaweed soup,and rice cakes. For the party,parents prepare a special 'Dol' table,where food is stacked high to symbolize a life of prosperity for the baby. The table is set mainly with a rice cake of pretty rainbow layers,seaweed soup,and fruits. Miyeok guk (seaweed soup) is served on every birthday after the first birthday to remind people of what their mother went through to bring them into the world.
The celebration is usually held in buffet restaurants or wedding halls. Parents prepare some prizes for guests and upon entering the party,everyone gets a piece of paper on which a number is written. During the party guests who correctly answer a question about the baby win a prize. The host of the party,or an entertainer,also calls out a number randomly,and the person who has that number receives a prize.
Alternatively,guests bet on which item the baby will choose at the doljabi (fortune-telling game) to win a prize.
Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria,Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural environment and different cultural trends.
Tableware items are the dishware and utensils used for setting a table,serving food,and dining. The term includes cutlery,glassware,serving dishes,serving utensils,and other items used for practical as well as decorative purposes. The quality,nature,variety and number of objects varies according to culture,religion,number of diners,cuisine and occasion. For example,Middle Eastern,Indian or Polynesian food culture and cuisine sometimes limits tableware to serving dishes,using bread or leaves as individual plates,and not infrequently without use of cutlery. Special occasions are usually reflected in higher quality tableware.
Nian gao,sometimes translated as year cake or New Year cake or Chinese New Year's cake,is a food prepared from glutinous rice flour and consumed in Chinese cuisine. It is also simply known as "rice cake". While it can be eaten all year round,traditionally it is most popular during the Chinese New Year. It is considered good luck to eat nian gao during this time of the year because nian gao (年糕) is a homonym for "higher year" or "grow every year" (年高),which means "a more prosperous year". The character 年is literally translated as "year",and the character 糕(gāo) is literally translated as "cake" and is identical in sound to the character 高,meaning "tall" or "high". In Mandarin,Nian gao (年糕) also is an exact homonym of "sticky cake" (黏糕／粘糕),the character 黏／粘(nián) meaning "sticky".
A rice cake may be any kind of food item made from rice that has been shaped,condensed,or otherwise combined into a single object. A wide variety of rice cakes exist in many different cultures in which rice is eaten. Common variations include cakes made with rice flour,those made from ground rice,and those made from whole grains of rice compressed together or combined with some other binding substance.
Table manners are the rules of etiquette used while eating,which may also include the use of utensils. Different cultures observe different rules for table manners. Each family or group sets its own standards for how strictly these rules are to be followed.
Seollal is a Korean traditional festival and national holiday commemorating the first day of the lunisolar calendar. It is one of the most important traditional holidays for ethnic Koreans,being celebrated in both North Korea and South Korea as well as Korean diaspora all around the world.
Miyeok-guk (미역국) or seaweed soup is a non-spicy Korean soup whose main ingredient is miyeok,or seaweed. It is traditionally eaten as a birthday breakfast in honor of one's mother and by women who have given birth for several months postpartum.
The annaprashana,also known as annaprashana vidhi or annaprashanam,is a Hindu rite of passage (Saṃskāra) that marks an infant's first intake of food other than milk. The term annaprashana means 'eating of cooked rice'. In Vedic Hindu culture,the child cannot eat rice until the annaprashana has occurred. Importance is given to rice because of its symbolism as a life-sustaining food and a sacred food in the form of kheer. The annaprashana remains an important milestone and the ceremony is celebrated in Bangladesh,Nepal and India. It is also known as mukhēbhāt in West Bengal,cōṟūṇŭ in Kerala,and bhāt khulai in Himachal Pradesh. In Nepal,it is also called pasni.
Sujebi,ttŭdŏ-guk,or hand-pulled dough soup,or Korean-style pasta soup,is a Korean traditional soup consisting of dough flakes roughly torn by hand,with various vegetables. The flavor and recipe resemble kalguksu,except that the latter is made with noodles rather than wheat flakes. It is commonly considered a dish to consume on rainy days,along with bindaetteok.
Sirutteok (Korean: 시루떡) is a type of Korean rice cake (tteok) traditionally made by steaming rice or glutinous rice flour in a "siru" (시루).
Mujigae-tteok (Korean: 무지개떡) or rainbow rice cake is a layered tteok of different colors resembling a rainbow. It is used for special occasions such as a banquet,party,or feast like doljanchi,hwangapjanchi. Alternative names for mujigae-tteok include saektteok (색떡) and saekpyeon (색편),both of which means "colored rice cakes".
Korean birthday celebrations or Dol are one of the important facets of Korean culture. When a person reaches an important age in his or her life,Koreans have unique celebrations to mark these milestones. Dol means it has been 365 days since the baby's birth.
Traditions of Korean family ceremonies were mainly established during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910),which adopted Confucianism as a state philosophy. As Korean society became Confucianized,the four family ceremonies of Confucian culture have developed elaborately,and continue to influence Korean life to the present day. Ceremonial food was an important part of such cultural tradition and developed with variations across different regions and cultures.
In South Korea,etiquette,or the code of social behavior that governs human interactions,is largely derived from Korean Confucianism and focuses on the core values of this religion. In addition to general behaviour,etiquette in South Korea also determines how to behave with responsibility and social status. Although most aspects of etiquette are accepted by the country at large,customs can be localized to specific regions or influenced by other cultures,namely China,Japan,and the United States.
Zhuazhou is a Chinese ritual held at a child's first birthday party,when the child is 1 year,i.e. typically twelve months since birth,old. The parents put various objects before the child. Parents will often put objects that symbolize career choices or personality traits. The child's choice is used to forecast its future. It is said that this custom can be dated back to the Northern and Southern dynasties (420-589). Yan Zhitui in his book Yanshi jiaxun 顏氏家訓documented a custom that is very similar to Zhuazhou today. The earliest written record of this custom can be traced back to the Song dynasty (960-1279). It is portrayed in a well-known scene in the novel Dream of the Red Chamber.
Doenjang-guk (Korean: 된장국) or soybean paste soup is a guk (soup) made with doenjang and other ingredients,such as vegetables,meat,and seafood. It is thinner,lighter,and milder than doenjang-jjigae. It is similar to the Japanese miso soup. It is sometimes mild,sometimes strong,and accompanied with rice most of the time.
Japanese dining etiquette is a set of traditional perceptions governing specific expectations which outlines general standards of how one should behave and respond in various dining situations.
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