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During the Lunar New Year (Seollal), in January or February, you can expect not
only Seoul but the whole country to grind to a halt. It's probably a good opportunity
to head off to the Korean Folk Village (near Suwon) or the Seoul Nori Madang
to view the special performances of traditional dances or wedding services.
The Buddha's Birthday, or Feast of the Lanterns, is on the eighth day of
the fourth moon, and falls around April or May in the Western calendar. There's
an evening lantern parade from Yeouido Plaza to Chogyesa Temple, starting around
6.30pm.
Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving, is also known as the Harvest Moon Festival,
and falls on the 15th day of the eighth month, around September or October.
It is the most important of South Korea's lunar holidays, and Seoul becomes
almost deserted as most city dwellers head back to their family homes. They
prepare offerings for the ancestral tombs and prepare for an evening of gazing
at the moon.
Two other festivals worth looking for are the Seokchonje, staged twice a year
in the Confucius Shrine at Sungkyunkwan University in northern Seoul. A traditional
court orchestra performs and full costume rituals are enacted. Similarly, full
costume parades are held at the Jyongmyo Daeje, the Royal Shrine Rites in the
Jangmyo Shrine on the first Sunday in May.
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