Dol Ceremony (돌잔치)
Among the many traditions that Korea has is the Dol Ceremony. When a child turns one year old, a celebration is held- this is because of how common it was for infants to pass away prematurely, in the earlier days, due to insufficient medical care.
Close family and friends get served delicious foods such as miyukguk (미역국) and come together to take part in festivities. The birthday girl or boy also wears his or her dolbok (돌복)- girls wear warmer color tones (e.g. scarlet, red) and boys wear cooler color tones (e.g. purple, gray).
Aside from the delicious foods that people are served during the Dol Ceremony, the main highlight of the event is where the doljabi (돌잡이) "predicts" the child's future! The doljabi is where an array of objects are placed in front of the child for him or her to choose- string, money, and a book are among the objects presented. Each has its own special meaning, and whatever object the child chooses is believed to be a predictor of what the child will succeed in.
If you or anyone you know is preparing for their child's Dol Ceremony, Leehwa can help you- we provide customizable Dol setup packages that include children's dolbok and fabric backdrops! All other provisions provided in our Dol Ceremony service can be found here. In addition, our most frequently asked questions regarding the Dol Ceremony service can be found here.