"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.

입동 관련 자료

"Landscape of Ipdong," by Lee Eok-yeong	Thatching a Roof in Suncheon City, Jeollanam-do

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.

서산의 김장 담그기

Gimjang in Seosan City, Chungcheongnam-do
Trimming the Chinese Cabbage			Preparing the Ingredients			Pickling the Cabbage			Adding the Kimchi Stuffing and Sauce
Putting Kimchi into the Jar				Burying the Kimchi Jar				Erecting Straw Coves

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.
"Ipdong" was once celebrated with a feast called "Chigyemi" (雉鷄米), which was a kind of community party for the elderly inhabitants of a village. Villagers would treat old people with donations of grains, but if the circumstances were not so good, they would cook loach soup for them instead. This was called "Dorangtang Janchi."
It was believed the weather around "Ipdong" was related to the coming winter, so it was closely observed. If it was cold on "Ipdong," it was felt that the winter that year would be very cold in general. Also, people tried to predict the weather by looking at barley leaves. For instance, the spring on "Ipchun," the root provided clues about the weather, while at this time, the leaf did. This custom is called "Before Ipdong, Gawi Bori," which literally means "Scissor Barley," in the Chungcheong region. It means that, for a good harvest to occur, a barley leaf must look like a pair of scissors before Ipdong.