In every part of the world, people follow certain patterns and rules that govern their lives, usually based on religion or geographically based tradition. These happenings are called rituals. Rituals are usually followed because of a religious belief, but they often have roots in the social structure of certain regions, and are used to strengthen the community as a whole. Four phases of ritualistic behavior exist, and the rituals will usually fall under one of the four categories, Birth and Childhood , Initiation and Adolescence, Marriage and Adulthood, and finally Death and Remembrance. South Korea as we know it today has only come into existence after World War 2, but the traditions and customs that exist there have been in practice for thousands of years. In the past Korea was largely Buddhist, but today we see a drastically reduced number of religious followers. When looking at the country South Korea , we find that the people living there, like a vast majority of other places, have their own sets of rituals that they follow.
The phase of birth and early childhood in South Korea is a major part of the society. In the past, birth traditions were based entirely on Buddhist beliefs, so the birth was considered not important (by religious opinion) and no attention was given. Aside from the Buddhist traditions (or lack there of) we see that the people of South Korea have their own set of rituals for early childhood and birth. In the past, the chance of a child surviving through the first year of life was far lower than it is today, due to a lack of medical information, Korea's seasonal temperature differences, and many childhood related diseases. At birth traditionally Koreans would pray to Sanshin (a mountain god) and Samshin (a birth god, also called Samshin-halmuni "grandmother"). It was said that Samshin lived in the cloth that covered the baby. Relatives were not allowed to see the mother and baby up to 21 days after the birth.
After 100 days had past, another celebration was held, the Baek-il, it was used to celebrate the child's survival up to the 100 day point. The Baek-il has 2 major components; f irst, family members give thanks to Samsin (the three gods who take care of the baby's life while growing up); second, the family prays for the child's jae-ak (wealth), longevity, and cho-bok (original luck). After the prayer is over, a large meal is prepared, and each piece of food represents an additional prayer for the child. The foods prepared are: baekseogi (for longevity, representing cleanliness and freshness), susupo-ttteok (to ward off bad things), injeolmi (for solace and patience), and songpyeon (for a healthy mind).
After one year, the survival expectancy of a child effectively skyrocketed, making the one year anniversary a big celebration. The celebration is called Tol , meaning “child's first birthday”, and is essentially a larger version of the Baek-il. It involves 4 steps, and they are as follows: First the family prays to Sanshin and Samshin for the child, using a specially prepared table of food including miyeok-guk and samshin siru which are sea mustard soup and layered red bean cake respectively. The females of the family all pray at the table, no men are allowed to, and after prayer is complete the family all bows to the table. The second phase is the making and wearing of the Tol-bok , which are the ceremonial clothes for the Tol . The clothes differ depending on the sex of the child, but both males and females wear a long belt that wraps around twice for longevity, and a pouch to “catch luck”. The clothes are made of silk. The third step is a large feast of rice cakes of all different types, and after the feast the child's future is told using various items. If a child picks the bow and arrow , the child will become a warrior. If a child takes the needle and thread, the child will live long. Other items include the j ujube , book, rice or rice cake, ruler, scissors and knife, and they all have a specific meaning. The final stage is the phase in which the neighbors celebrate the good fortune of the child, and offer the child gold rings. These rings are not to be worn, but are rather used to pay for the child's future endeavors.
Unlike many places in the world, South Korea does not have a totally unique set of rituals for the celebration of “Coming of Age”. What South Korea does have is a collection of other rituals from the various religions they practice throughout the country. “The reason that no celebration occurred on the transition from child to adult was because in Korea 's history it had always been an understanding that once a male reached the age of 13 or so, they would be put to work. Girls weren't desired back in the past because they didn't work” (Lee, 2006 Interview). In the history of Korea , Tae Kwon Do was widely used in military applications, and so the males of the household were encouraged to learn as soon as it was physically possible for them to begin training.
