On Children’s Day, South Korea is ablaze with fun activities, crowds of people, and happy children. This article will teach you everything you need to know about this festive Korean holiday and how it is celebrated in Korea.
What is Children’s Day in Korea?
Children’s Day is a national holiday in South Korea that celebrates, you guessed it, children. Bang Jeong Hwan, a children’s book author, founded the holiday in 1923 to honor children because he believed they were the country’s future. His famous quote is the core of the holiday, “Children are the heroes of tomorrow. May they grow to be gentle, vigorous, and wise.”
When and How is Children’s Day Celebrated?
Each year, Koreans celebrate Children’s Day on May 5th. On Children’s Day, parents strive to provide their children with a full day of entertainment. Korean culture can be stressful for kids, they have a lot of pressure to achieve academically. And so this is a holiday to appreciate kids’ hard work and for families to spend time together. Many children enjoy visiting the zoo or spending the day at amusement parks. Many parents also take their kids out for their favorite meal or enjoy a nice picnic among Korea’s many rivers and lakes.
Children’s Day at the Zoo
A trip to the zoo is one of the most popular Children’s Day activities in Korea. Zoos can be found in a number of South Korean cities. Seoul has two zoos: the main zoo at Seoul Grand Park and a smaller zoo at Children’s Grand Park in northeast Seoul, near Konkuk University.
Children’s Day at Amusement Parks
Another common activity on Children’s Day is going to an amusement park. Lotte World and Everland are two of Korea’s most famous amusement parks. Everland is situated in Yongin, which is close to Seoul. Inside its vast grounds, Everland houses a zoo, a safari park, and numerous rides and rollercoasters.
Lotte World is situated near the Jamsil subway station, and half of the amusement park is indoors, making it an excellent option if the weather is poor. In addition to the amusement park, there is an indoor ice rink.
Additionally, this Children’s Day Legoland Korea will host its Grand Opening. The new amusement park will open on May 5th, 2022 in Chuncheon.
Children’s Day Picnics
Last but not least, picnics! During the holiday, the parks along the Han River are likely to be packed with families. You will find thousands of families pitching tents in the shade and eating snacks while their children fly kites or ride bikes.
Children’s Day Presents
Furthermore, parents generally buy a gift for their children. Traditionally, presents consist of toys, snacks, and candies.
This year, along with the opening of Legoland, legos are bound to be on the top of many kid’s lists. There are a few sets in particular that have gained a lot of attention among kids in Korea recently. Among them are the Korean Zombie set, based on the Netflix series Kingdom and Transformers sets.
Also, amind the Korean Pokemon Bread craze, many children will be asking for the treats to the dismay of many parents who can’t seem to get their hands on them. However, you can find tons of newly released Pokemon toys and snacks.
To read more about the Korean Pokemon Bread obsession, Click Here.
Conclusion
Unlike western countries, most holidays do not center around children. Christmas, valenties day and other western holidays are generally for adult couples to give gifts to each other. And so, this is the one day a year when children can let their parents know what they want an have a day that’s all about them.
Of course, there will undoubtedly be some time spent relaxing at home. On television, there are always special animations for the holiday that kids love. Often, the day is not only celebrated by families with children but adults too. It’s a national holiday so all non-essential businesses close for the day. It’s a great way to get out of the house and enjoy spring, or just take some time to relax.
What will you do this Children’s Day? Let us know in the comments below!
