JIRO Local, Now

Hello, this is JIRO! As we welcome June, we're back with the second post in our Korean Seasonal Customs Series. This time, we're introducing Dano, a traditional Korean holiday celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. This year, Dano falls on June 19 (Friday) on the solar calendar, so it's just around the corner! Let's take a look at how people in Korea have celebrated this special day throughout history. Driving Away Misfortune and Welcoming Abundance  Dano  (Korea’s High-Energy Summer Festival) The Most Energetic Day of the Year! This year, Dano falls on June 19 (Fri). Dano falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, when the yang number five is doubled.  It is also called Suritnal, meaning “ the High Day ” or “ the Joyful Day. ” Dano was one of the three most important holidays during the Joseon Dynasty! Dano is a holiday when people celebrate and rest after harvesting barley and finishing rice planting . It also carries the meaning of a farming ritual to pr...

​Hello everyone, this is JIRO  It’s been a while since our last post — how has everyone been doing? Earlier this month, JIRO had the chance to visit Daegu. By a wonderful coincidence, we joined a Daegu Alley Tour , and today we’d love to share that experience with you!  We signed up for the evening tour, and before it began, each of us received a Cheongsachorong (traditional Korean lantern) ! Walking around the city with it in hand made the whole experience feel a little more special. The tour began with the story of the Daegu Eupseong Fortress . We learned that an earthen fortress originally built during the reign of King Seonjo to defend against Japanese invasions was later reinforced during the reign of King Yeongjo, eventually becoming what was known as the Daegu Eupseong Fortress. However... During the period of the Japanese Residency-General, Japanese merchants continuously pushed for the fortress to be removed in order to expand their commercial influence. It is said t...