I get slightly panicked after Christmas because it is hard to fathom that the year is coming to a close. Another year come and gone…unbelievable. The
past few have flown particularly quickly. And to think so many good things could
happen in just one year!
2012
began in sunny California with family, food, and a dedicated running schedule.
I had a breezy last semester in college that allowed me to soak up everything
Charlottesville has to offer. I celebrated my 22nd birthday about six
times (wouldn’t want it any other way!) I put a check on the bucket list when I
experienced being a waitress. My family gathered in Charlottesville making graduation
weekend a total blast. During an impromptu week in the Virgin Islands I swam
with a sea turtle. I trekked through Europe with the sole regret of wishing I
could have stayed longer. I savored the Malis Family Reunion of 2012 and a week
on Lake Michigan since it would have to suffice for the following summer as
well. I finally returned to the special beaches of Cape Hatteras after a few
years absence. And…I moved to South Korea to start my first real job and have
had awesome experiences along the way. 2012 has been a big year for me, but
none of it has meant anything without the people I have shared it all with! Hello 2013.
As it turns out, I’m not too bad at keeping up with a blog! And seeing as you’re still reading this after four months, I still have at least one follower! (And perhaps one new one...shout out to a certain cousin who I just now coerced into reading...) It’s been a lot of fun to write about certain experiences, and even though it takes a good bit of time, I still think it's the best way of communicating with everyone back home. Happy Solar New Year!
In
Korea, January 1st is not nearly as important of a day as Lunar New
Year, which will fall in early February this year. People still get the day off
and celebrate both solar and lunar New Year to a certain extent. Certain
rituals that are traditional to Lunar New Year are also upheld during Solar New
Year, such as eating duk gook, a rice
cake soup.
It’s
surprising to me that January 1st isn’t more celebrated in Korea
since Koreans ‘change age’ on New Year’s Day. So today is kind of like
everyone’s birthday in Korea! In the Korean age system, you are born at age 1.
This is to account for near year spent in the womb. On New Year’s Day,
everyone’s age increases by one. So, this can mean a baby born on December 31st
is ‘one year old’ and the following day on January 1st turns ‘two.’
I know, I know, it doesn’t make sense to our Gregorian calendar-ed brains, but that’s
just our Western bias, right? People can choose to add their year on Solar or
Lunar New Year, but it seems January 1st is the most widespread day.
During the year, Koreans also celebrate their actual day of birth with candles
on a cake and perhaps a gift, but they don’t actually ‘change age’ on this day.
Age,
in fact, is a central concept in Korean culture. A typical Korean conversation
often goes “Hi, nice to meet you, I’m Allie, how old are you?” Establishing
this hierarchy is important to social interactions. Age is highly respected in
this culture, even within the younger generation. When a group of people go out
it is often expected that the oldest person will pay. I have been a beneficiary
of this custom and it rocks having mainly older Korean friends! There are also
certain names you kindly refer to older friends depending on whether you male
or female and whether the person you are speaking is male or female. An older
female to me is my unni and an older
male to me is my oppa. Yes, as in…Oppa is Gangnam Style! The sentiment of
these terms is akin to calling someone your older sister or brother.
So
as it goes, I’m turning 24 today. What a horrifying thought. But I suppose this
aspect of Korean culture could be quite agreeable to me if it means I get to
celebrate my birthday on BOTH New Year holidays as well as my actual birthday. Does this mean I’ll be 26 by the time March rolls around??
you will do anything to get another birthday!!
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