As inwards whatever country, a baby’s commencement birthday is a big bargain inwards Korea. In the past, due to diverse reasons, such every bit famine in addition to disease, many babies didn’t learn inwards to their commencement birthday. So those that did got a huge political party to celebrate.
I’m certain all would handgrip that a birthday is a joyous occasion in addition to unremarkably a lot of idea in addition to endeavour goes into making it truly memorable in addition to special. As our household unit of measurement is a bicultural family, when it came to my son’s commencement birthday, nosotros had to hit upward one's demand heed which parts of each other’s traditions nosotros wanted to convey together. The commencement fourth dimension I went to a Korean commencement birthday party, or a cheotdeol (첫돌), I expected to encounter balloons, cake in addition to lots of children playing. I was surprised to uncovering that it's truly really similar to a Korean wedding.
My favorite tradition in addition to something nosotros incorporated into our son's birthday was the commencement birthday grab, or doljabi (돌잡이). The commencement birthday catch is supposed to say the babies' future, if you lot like. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 tray of specially selected items are lay inwards forepart of the babe in addition to everyone waits inwards anticipation until the babe chooses an item. The particular grabbed symbolizes the baby's time to come career or time to come life circumstances. Each particular has a unlike meaning. Some correspond jobs in addition to roughly correspond skills or circumstances. There's a traditional gear upward of items, but these days anything goes, every bit people add together toy golf game clubs to correspond a golf game instructor or a pro golfer, or add together a reckoner mouse to symbolize a Bill Gates type of scenario or perchance a professional person video game player. There are no gear upward rules for what you lot tin move in addition to the same particular tin also lead unlike meanings for unlike families. The selection of items in addition to meanings are special to each family.
For my son’s birthday, nosotros used a selection of traditional items because alongside all the modern variations, at that topographic point were agency every bit good many for him to choose. I’ve lay together a listing of roughly of the master copy items in addition to their meanings, alongside a few of the close commonly used modern additions.
Korean money pouch – a someone alongside lots of luck
Stethoscope – a someone who volition learn a doctor
Gavel – a someone who volition learn a lawyer
Bow in addition to arrow – a someone alongside a career inwards the military
Medal alongside seal – a someone alongside a high seat inwards the government
Brush – a someone who volition learn a famous artist
Money (traditionally coins, but these days notes) – a someone who volition live rich
Colored scrolls – a someone alongside a long in addition to good for you lot life
Book – a famous scholar
Reals of thread / thimbles – a someone alongside many talents
Medicine appall – a someone who volition learn a physician of East Asian medicine
Red in addition to bluish silk plat, used inwards a traditional Korean marriage – a someone who volition live a skillful hubby / wife
Some mutual modern items were:
Soccer ball – a someone who volition learn a football game player
Computer mouse – a someone who volition live famous similar Bill Gates
Airplane – a someone alongside a career every bit a pilot
Microphone – a someone who volition live a vocaliser / entertainer
Crown – Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 daughter who volition learn Miss Korea
Piano – a someone who volition learn a pianist
Golf social club – a someone who volition learn a pro golfer
For my son’s birthday, nosotros bought a modest selection of erstwhile trend traditional items, every bit they had charm in addition to tradition. Though people don’t handgrip their kids to what selection they brand at their dol, traditional parents, in addition to particularly grandparents, human face forwards to it in addition to promise for a skillful choice.
I wanted to brand things a piddling chip fun. As a kid of the 1990s, I grew upward watching the cartoon "Pokemon," in addition to it only then happens that 1 of my son’s favorite toys is a plastic Pokemon ball. I was convinced that if it was on the table, he would pick it over anything else, which would live quite amusing.
At his birthday party, my son’s commencement selection was the stethoscope in addition to his granddad seemed really happy alongside that. As is standard, the babe also gets a 2nd choice, which becomes baby’s excogitation B. My son’s 2nd selection was quite unexpected. He chose -- or tried to eat, to a greater extent than similar -- the microphone I was belongings to verbalize to the guests.
So my boy is either going to learn a lawyer or a singer. It was a proud mommy moment!
By Alexandra Gray
Korea.net Honorary Reporter
Photo: Alexandra Gray
Sumber http://koreanetblog.blogspot.com/