Introduction to Korean life and cultural habits!

North Korea Taiji Banner

Taiji flag is the national flag formulated at the end of the Korean dynasty, named after its central Taiji circle. Taiji circle is divided into two parts, which are very symmetrical.

The red part above represents yang, and the blue part below represents yin. It is a symbol of the ancient universe, and it is a symbol of two opposing cosmic forces that have achieved perfect harmony and balance: fire and water, day and night, darkness and light, men and women, heat and cold, positive and negative, and so on.

The hexagrams on the flag angle also mean the balance of opposites. Three complete bars represent the sky and three opposite broken bars represent the ground. In the lower left corner, two whole bars with a broken bar symbolize fire, and the diagonal symbol symbolizes water. White symbolizes the pure heart and peace-loving spirit of the Korean people. The whole national flag symbolizes the ideal of the Korean people to develop harmoniously with the universe forever.

Korean cultural life habits

family life

The traditional family in Korea is usually a big family with three to four generations living under one roof, because it was the custom in Korea at that time to like the prosperity of the family. However, with the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization and the establishment of population control policy in 1960s and 1970s, the traditional extended family culture gradually disappeared. By 1980, the average number of children per household has decreased to 1 or 2. But there are still traces of patriarchal thinking, such as the eldest son is the most important and the son is the most important. In order to get rid of this concept, the government legislates that men and women enjoy equal inheritance rights.

Now, almost all young Koreans have liberated from the extended family system and established their own small families. At present, the family form in Korea is mainly a small family centered on husband and wife.

(full name)

Kim (265,438+0%), Lee (65,438+04%), Park (8%), Cui, Zheng, Zhang, Han and Lin are the most common surnames of Koreans, and most of them are surnames and disyllabic names. Korean women do not take their husbands' surnames after marriage, but their children must take their fathers' surnames.

marry

For Koreans, marriage is an important ceremony in life. Although statistics show that the divorce rate in modern Korea has soared, divorce is still a disgraceful thing for the parties and their families. South Korea's wedding style is different from the past: the bride and groom wear white wedding dresses and tuxedos to hold western-style ceremonies in the wedding hall or church, and then move to the room called the "money room" to put on gorgeous traditional wedding costumes and perform traditional wedding ceremonies. Coin silk can be understood as a tradition in Korea, which refers to the custom of the bride and groom to salute the relatives of the man's parents at the wedding. It is the ceremony for the bride to formally meet the relatives of the man for the first time. )

Ancestor worship (ancestor worship)

In the traditional belief of Koreans, there is a soul after death. Therefore, in addition to the death of ancestors, in traditional festivals such as the Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, future generations will summon the souls of ancestors through worship. Koreans believe that through this special ceremony, they can reunite with their deceased relatives and pray for the protection of their ancestors in heaven.

Warm kang

The most representative feature of Korean residential design is the [Ondol] heating kang. It turns out that the whole room is heated by the hot air generated by burning firewood in the kitchen or outside the house through the pipes under the house. [Ondol] The style is warm, warm in winter and cool in summer, which is good for health. Therefore, [Ondol] heating with modern heating equipment is still used in high-grade apartment buildings or buildings in modern cities.

Korean diet

Korea used to be an agricultural country in history, and rice has been its staple food since ancient times. Nowadays, Korean cuisine includes all kinds of vegetables, meat and seafood, and fermented foods such as kimchi (fermented spicy cabbage), seafood sauce (pickled fish) and soy sauce (fermented bean products) have become the most representative and nutritious foods in Korea. The biggest feature of Korean table culture is that all dishes are served at one time. Traditionally, the number of side dishes varies from the next three dishes to the emperor's 12 dishes according to different grades. The placement and layout of the dining table also vary greatly due to the type of cooking. Because Koreans attach importance to form, table decoration etiquette has also been greatly developed. Besides, compared with neighboring China and Japan, spoons are used more frequently in Korea, especially when soup appears on the dining table.

pickled vegetables

Gimjang refers to the Korean custom of pickling kimchi in winter, which has been preserved for many years. Because most vegetables are difficult to cultivate during the 3~4 months in winter, pickles are usually pickled in early winter.

social etiquette

Koreans advocate Confucianism and respect their elders. When the elders enter the house, everyone should stand up and ask how old they are. Take off your sunglasses when talking to the old man. Get up in the morning and greet your parents after dinner; When parents go out and come back, the children have to see him before they can eat. When riding a bike, make way for the old man. Answer the phone. When eating, you should serve food to the elderly or elders first. Only when the old man moves chopsticks can others eat. When riding a bike, make way for the old man.

When Koreans meet, the traditional etiquette is to bow. When the younger generation and subordinates meet their elders or superiors, they should bow, say hello and stand aside to show their respect. Men greet each other, bow and shake hands. When shaking hands, they either use their hands or their left hands and only nod once. Bowing etiquette is generally not used on businessmen. When dealing with Korean officials, you can usually shake hands or nod gently. Women don't usually shake hands with people.

In social groups and banquets, men and women socialize separately, even at home or in restaurants.

In Korea, if someone invites you home for dinner or dinner, bring a small gift, and it is best to choose packaged food. When toasting at dinner, you should hold the bottle in your right hand and the bottom of the bottle in your left hand, then bow and toast, and finally pour three cups. The toaster should hold its cup lower and touch the other's cup with its rim. Take a bow before you leave after drinking. When you are a guest, the host won't show you the whole house. Don't wander around alone. When you leave, the host will see you to the door, even outside, and then say goodbye.

Koreans accept gifts with both hands, but they don't open them in front of guests. It is not appropriate to send foreign cigarettes to Korean friends. Wine is the best gift for Korean men, but you can't give wine to a woman unless you make it clear that the wine is for her husband. Pay attention to giving gifts to Koreans. Korean men like brand-name textiles, ties, lighters, electric razors and so on. Women like cosmetics, bags, gloves, scarves and spices used in the kitchen. Children like food. If you send money, you should put it in an envelope.

If there is a visit, it must be agreed in advance. Koreans attach great importance to reception in communication. Banquets are usually held in restaurants or bars, and wives are rarely present.

Korean traditional clothing

Hanbok is a traditional costume of the Korean nation from ancient times to modern times. The lines of Hanbok are both curvy and straight, especially the tops and long skirts of women's Hanbok, which are thin and thick, dignified and elegant. Nowadays, most people are used to wearing suits, but many people still like to wear traditional national costumes on festivals such as Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival or weddings. Women's hanbok is a short coat (jeogori) with a flowing long skirt (Chima); The man wears a short coat with trousers, and his wide trouser legs are tied with Nim. Tops and long skirts are colorful, and some even add bright and gorgeous brocade.

Korean traditional residence

Traditional Korean-style houses have not changed much from the Three Kingdoms period (57-668 BC) to the late Korean dynasty (1392- 19 10). Only slightly improved in some aspects to adapt to the different climates of cold in the north and warm in the south. The main materials for building traditional houses are mud and wood. Soil separates indoor heat from outdoor heat. Black tiles for roofs are made of clay. It's usually red. Moreover, the frame of Korean residence is supported by wooden stakes, not nails. A simple traditional house has a rectangular floor with a kitchen and a bedroom on one side, thus forming an "L" shape, and later a "U" shape or a square with a yard in the middle. The upper-class residence consists of several independent buildings, one for women and children, one for men and their guests in the family, called "wing rooms", and one for servants. All this is in the fence.

North Korea:

[Korean] The Korean population in the city is 49,588, accounting for 19.67% of the minority population in the city.

Korean nationality is a cross-border nationality who moved from the Korean peninsula, with a history of 100 years. Korean people have their own spoken and written languages, and the language family has not yet been determined.

Koreans' diet is mainly rice, and pickles such as soup, sauce and pickles are non-staple foods, which have their own unique dietary customs. Rice is mostly rice, and there are also two kinds of mixed rice and millet, as well as whole grains.

Soup is an indispensable part of daily life. It is known as "soup is better than no vegetables", and the most popular one is miso vegetable soup. Soy sauce brewed from soybeans is the main traditional food of Koreans. It can be used to cook soy sauce and process it into Chili sauce.

Chili sauce can be made into all kinds of delicious pickles. Kimchi is a favorite food of Koreans. Most of them are made of platycodon grandiflorum, bracken, Chinese cabbage, radish, cucumber and celery. After washing, cut into pieces, blocks and shreds, and then add sesame, garlic, shredded ginger, Chili noodles and other seasonings. They are crisp and refreshing, salty and spicy, crispy and delicious. Because of its rich raw materials, simple production, can accompany wine, ready-to-eat, cheap and good quality, it is widely popular. It has become a popular and entry-level flavor snack in Northeast China. Kimchi, also known as spicy cabbage, is called "Jimuqi" in Korean, which is the most distinctive one in Korean diet. Just like miso soup, Koreans can hardly live without it. In addition, radishes, peppers, cucumbers and bean sprouts can also be pickled into delicious pickles.

Special diets for festivals or entertaining guests mainly include cold noodles, cakes, muffins and so on. Korean cold noodles are famous at home and abroad for their unique flavor. This kind of cold noodles is made by mixing buckwheat noodles, flour and starch into noodles, adding beef soup or chicken soup, and then putting some seasonings such as pepper, pepper, beef slices, eggs, apple slices and sesame oil on the noodles. In the past, Koreans had the habit of eating cold noodles at noon on the fourth day of the first month, saying that eating cold noodles on this day would lead to longevity, hence the name "longevity noodles". The glutinous rice is steamed and beaten into balls. When eating, cut it into pieces and dip it in bean powder or honey, which is rich and delicious. Therefore, Koreans have always regarded making cakes as the first-class delicacy. Every holiday or wedding day and when welcoming distinguished guests, they should make cakes and put them on the table. Muffins are made by rolling steamed rice flour into small pieces and then wrapping them with fillings such as adzuki beans, peas, sesame seeds, dates and sugar. Like jiaozi. They also have a special taste.

Among meat products, Koreans like beef and dog meat best. Dog broth is not only a spicy and delicious "temptation soup", but also a nourishing soup. Whenever there are VIPs coming or festive days (weddings and funerals don't kill dogs), Koreans will hold a "dog meat feast" at home.

Korean costumes: Since ancient times, Koreans have taken plain clothes as their main costumes, so they have the reputation of "people in white". No matter men, women and children, all kinds of clothes are made mainly of white fabrics. Professional women look good in tube skirts, while young women wear long skirts with luxurious texture and colorful colors. The cuffs of children's clothes are often paired with colorful paragraphs, which are really beautiful. Women's short skirts and long skirts are called "Zegaoli" and "Ma Qi"; Men's short jacket with vest and wide trouser legs. When I went out, I wore a robe tied with a cloth belt. Now I wear uniforms and pants. Korean women mostly wash clothes by the stream. The stone by the stream is a natural chopping block. The woman who went to the stream to wash clothes had a washbasin on her head and a stick in her hand. From spring to autumn, by the clear stream, the heavy Liuxia is dancing, and the sound of sticks and laughter come and go, with a strong national color.

Korean housing: Korean housing is very elegant. Traditional houses are mostly wooden domes, and two-thirds of the rooms are heated kang, which is divided into three or four small rooms. The interior is spacious and tidy, the tableware is neatly placed, and the walls of the house are mostly painted and white.

Korean etiquette: Koreans have always attached importance to etiquette, respecting the old and loving the young. You must use respectful words to your elders in social intercourse. When colleagues meet for the first time, they will also greet each other. In daily life, the elders are the first, and the younger generation does not drink at the same table as the elders, and does not walk side by side. Respecting teachers and stressing morality is the traditional virtue of Korean people. Address the teacher as a gentleman and treat the teacher as a distinguished guest.

Korean folk festivals include New Year's Day (Spring Festival), Shangyuan (Lantern Festival), Shangjia (March 3), Cold Food (Tomb-Sweeping Day), Lantern Festival (April 8), Dragon Boat Festival (May 5) and Liutou Festival (June 5). Among them, Yuanri, Shangyuan, Cold Food Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Qiuxi are the main festivals. Koreans not only cook holiday meals, but also organize various games and sports activities for entertainment according to their own characteristics. For example, on New Year's Eve, Koreans celebrate in a unique way. Friends and relatives get together to celebrate the New Year and eat homemade cakes, rice wine and "Degu" cake soup. During the Spring Festival, besides singing and dancing, we also lit fires in the fields to drive away pests, and women engaged in activities such as springboard and swinging. Tomb-Sweeping Day went to sweep the grave and add soil; The Mid-Autumn Festival uses weeds and sacrifices to express grief for the deceased.

There are also three family festivals, namely, Catch the Week, Hui Jia Festival (60th birthday) and Hui Jia Festival (60th wedding anniversary). The last two days are festive days, and children, relatives and friends, and neighbors all give birthdays to the elderly. The Korean people have a tradition of respecting the elderly since ancient times. The elderly are generally respected and given preferential treatment among the Korean people and have a high family and social status. They even designated August 15 as "Day for the Elderly". To show respect for the elderly. Korean people have always attached importance to children, and a grand celebration is held every June 1 day, and the whole family participates in the celebration. Koreans usually attach great importance to the cultivation of children and spend a lot of money on tutors to develop and cultivate children's intelligence.

Korean weddings are very distinctive. Korean weddings are generally divided into two stages. The first stage is held at the bride's house, and the second stage is held at the groom's house. They are called the groom's wedding and the bride's wedding respectively. On the night of the bride's wedding, close relatives and neighbors will hold a celebration party for the bride and groom. The wedding will reach its climax, and everyone will enjoy singing and dancing until late at night.

On major festivals, Koreans often hold a variety of colorful entertainment activities. Folk entertainment occupies a unique position in the colorful cultural heritage of Korean nationality. There are as many as 300 kinds of activities, some of which are simple and suitable for all ages. Typical examples are swinging, springboard, wrestling and tug-of-war.