Korean holidays that are celebrated/highlighted in K-dramas

© JTBC

In every country, some holidays are unique to their own. Korea also has them. It is also almost always showcased in K-dramas that non-Koreans learn more about their culture. Even their Valentine's and Christmas days are celebrated, unlike in other parts of the world.

Check out how K-dramas educate us about Korean holidays and how unique they celebrate it:

 

Valentines Day  

Most countries celebrate Valentine's Day. Usually, guys give gifts such as flowers or chocolates to their lover or love interest. In Korea, it’s the other way around. Girls are the ones who prepare their gifts (chocolates) for their boyfriends or the man they like.

Highlighted in the K-drama “Abyss” starring Park Bo Young and Ahn Hyo Seop, Park Bo Young’s character, Go Se Yeon, explains to Ahn Hyo Seop’s character, Cha Min, the true meaning of her chocolate gift when they were still young.

Cha Min thought Se Yeon had just given her an extra gift from Valentine’s Day. In reality, Se Yeon prepared it for Cha Min for Valentine’s Day because girls are the ones who give gifts on this special day.

© The Swoon / Netflix 

 

White Day

Maybe you’re asking, how about the girls? When do they get the flowers and chocolates that they deserve? No worries because Koreans also have a holiday for that. Exactly one month later, it’s time for the girls’ love to get reciprocated. Every March 14, it’s time for the girls to receive chocolates. It is called the White Day.

Many K-dramas highlight this holiday, but one of the most famous scenes is from “Strong Woman Do Bong Soon.” The infamous scene of Ahn Minhyuk (Park Hyung Sik) buying Do Bong Soon (Park Bo Young) a Royce chocolate.

© JTBC

Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)

It is a major holiday in Korea. It is the time to express gratitude to their ancestors for a bountiful harvest in the fall. Families prepare food, play games, gather together, and catch up every year to celebrate Chuseok. Chuseok usually happens in September or October, depending on the lunar calendar.  

In the 2020 K-drama “Start-Up,” they showcased how young Han Ji Pyeong’s (Kim Seon Ho) wish is to celebrate Chuseok with his family (he is an orphan). Dal Mi (Bae Suzy) and her family made it happen in the present.

© Netflix

 

Children’s Day

In Korea, they celebrate Children’s Day every 5th of May. It’s a public holiday in Korea wherein workers and their children take a day off. It’s the day that they can spend time and honor their children.

In the 2020 K-drama “Hospital Playlist,” they highlighted the holiday by creating a touching scene where the doctors decided to delay the operation so that the patient’s child would not remember every Children’s Day, the same day his father died.

 

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