The first full moon day of Lunar calendar represents a racial ideology of brightness and cleanness. As one of the three big festive season, many manners of folklore has been enriched in ratio of one quarter of all manners and customs of whole entertainment and plays. The New Years Day represents a concept of family and relatives gathering. On the other hand, Full Moon Day signifies a community of open-minded and a group consciousness of cooperative nature.
In the intimated relations between January full moon and agriculture, farmers were used to forecast the good harvest and or poor harvest by the color of the moon arising in evening. If the moon get colored red, it means a draught and bad crops. If the moon appears brightly it would be a good harvest in the year.
This was derived from farmer's wish for a good harvest and fear against natural disaster. Major event include crunching nuts, exchangeable sale of summer hot, observing a full moon, dining seasoned vegetable of previous year, drinking ear quickening wine, and all these customs are activated for sake of people's health. And a play of rope pulling contest, play of mask, fire works play, throwing stone games were designed for the goodness of the people of group.
※ In china this day is called "Sang Won" in the belief that the heaven grants a blessing to the people. In Japan they call the day Koshogatsu(small new year) as festival day.
As a break of dawn of January full moon day people enjoy to gnaw many of nuts such as raw chestnut, walnut, gingko nuts, reddish, big corn pine nuts and peanuts. While gnawing they pray to heaven that peace and happiness be given throughout the year and not to have boils and swelling. Upon hearing of cracking sound when crunched nuts, the devil spirit disappear right away and it makes good teeth.
At the time of moon arising, straw-made moon house will be burnt at either mountain behind the house or house yard. With the pine tree standing erect, they place the straw bundles on it collected from every house to make a conical hat form. When arising moon appears in sight, the conical straw hat will be lit. They believe in good harvest and peace if the bonfire gets flaring up. While the bonfire flaring village people beat farmers music instrument in their enjoyable participation.
The historical time is unknown but the royal court one time sponsored nation wide of the flying kite competition. A brotherhood from Ganghwado participated in the competition and won first prize for the continuously two years. At the flying game they removed off loin frame and supplemented with pliable frame.
Thereon after, Ganghwado kite has become a capable kite and gained a reputation. Another story of mouth to mouth on the defensive form kite of Ganghwado transmit that Ganghwado women's feature likely resembled with a feature of Ganghwa kite of defensive nature.
Along with different regions, a trampling the earth was performed to chase away the devil and call for a blessing happiness to the village as held in the new year's eve. The farmers music and dance team played farmer's music following the banners printed with phrase "Tramping The Earth Devil" attended by the disguised form of banner holder, noblemen, and hunters.
First of all, they visit guardian mountain of the village and they play tramping the earth god of guardian mountain at the front of small shrine of tutelary. Upon return to the village they visit the richmen houses in turn and present their tramping services. When served a tramping service senior land god would be satisfied and chase away the devil in responding to tramping. They believed in getting of happiness and family's longevity and health, and a promise for the fruitful harvest year. The house owner receiving the tramping service would prepare an entertainment table of food and wine and offer cordial thanks by money and crops.
All the donated money would be used for village community welfare. |
