Friday, July 24, 2009

Dol-Chan-Chi '돌잔치' My First Birthday!


'Dol-Chan-Chi’ (돌잔치) is a ceremony to celebrate your first birthday here in Korea.


Of course, I had to get dressed in traditional Korean dress called 'Hanbok’  (한복)


On this day it is customary to eat rice (쌀밥) and brown sea weed soup (미역국), but I was hooked more on strawberries, cake and kimbab (김밥). Relatives, friends and teachers get together on this day to throw a party and pray for your health.


I received a lot of presents. On this day they also have a tray of various things to choose from like a bow and arrow, pen, money etc. It is called ‘Dol-cha-bi’(돌잡이). If someone picks the bow and arrow it signifies that you will become a soldier in the future, pen signifies a scholar, and money represents wealth.

I was lucky I had a similar one to ‘Dolchanchi’ called 'Pasni’ (पास्नी) in Nepal when I was six months old. Surprisingly the concept in Nepal is also the same and I was given a tray of things to choose from, but I grabbed the whole tray, ha ha...I wonder what that foretells for my future...

We had a blast singing......

and dancing....

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