Season | Autumn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Period | 7 November 2022 (solar calendar) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Introduction | "Ipdong" (立冬), which literally means "the onset of winter," is the season when winter begins. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Ipdong" (立冬), which literally means "the onset of winter," is the season when winter begins. "Ipdong" is one of the four major seasons that mark the onset of winter, along with "Ipchun," "Ipha" and "Ipchu." The day falls around November 7 or 8 of the solar calendar.
In Korea, "Ipdong" is not regarded as a special holiday, but since the day indicates the onset of winter, people begin to prepare for the cold season. One of the most representative customs is "Gimjang," namely the making and preserving of kimchi for winter. It was widely believed that kimchi made within five days either side of "Ipdong" tasted the most delicious, but these days the "Gimjang" season tends to be delayed.
In the olden days, shamanistic rituals were held around "Ipdong." The date of the ritual would be first given between October 10 and 30 of the lunar calendar, and people would make various food offerings including "Sirutteok" rice cakes made with fresh grains and perform the ritual in front of the grain storage, the hall, and the cowshed. After the ceremony, people would feed some offerings to the cow that had worked so hard over the year, and also shared food with their neighbors. |