Short Fieldwork Assignment


I have collected information about a Korean traditional holiday called “Sol Nal”. I have interviewed my uncle, Young Chun Kim and my aunt, Chong Hee Kim. My uncle is 45 years old and my aunt is 43 years old. They immigrated to the US in October of 1989 with their daughter. He owns and works at a shoes store in Gardena with his wife. His daughter is attending UC Berkeley and studying law. I have visited them at their house and have talked to them for almost 3 hours. I was taking notes because I did not have a tape recorder. I spoke to my uncle and aunt in Korean and English because this is how I usually talk to them. When I asked them for an interview, they were more than willing to help.
“Sol Nal” is Korea’s traditional holiday that has been carried over for many generations. Its’ sole purpose is to celebrate Korea’s new years. “Sol Nal” is celebrated with their own family. “Sol Nal” is Korea’s old national holiday when Koreans enjoy their traditional food, games, and conversations between family and relatives. The family and relatives get together on this annual event so that they can have close relationships and form stronger bonds with each other. This is the day to realize and understand the importance of family. The original day for Korean New Years is February 1st because of Korea’s lunar calendar (Um Ryok) system and there is one month difference. The reason for “Um Ryok” is because of the Korean culture of farming. The lunar calendar developed because it follows the agricultural schedule such as seeding in spring and harvesting (Ch’u Su) in autumn.
During “Solnal”, Koreans eat our traditional food called “Ttok Guk”. It is rice cake in beef broth with green onions, garlic, salt, pepper, eggs, glass noodles (Daeg Myun), and Korean dumplings (Man Doo). During this holiday, other traditional foods such as rice cakes (Ttok), egg coated fish, meat, oyster, or vegetables (Bu Chim), and fried vegetable pancakes (Bin Dae Ttok) is served along with many other side dishes, such as “Kim Chi” and other seasoned vegetables.
The most popular traditional game played on “Sol Nal” is “Yut Nol Yi” where family and relatives gather and play. This is usually played with teams and a little bit of gambling is involved. This is not a serious gambling game and it requires a lot of teamwork. “Yut Nol Yi” requires a lot of team decision because you can either move the existing piece on the board or you can start a new one. But when it’s the other player’s turn, and their piece land on your piece, that means your piece goes back out of the board and wait until it is your turn again. The purpose of this game is not to win money, but to be closer with your team mate or mates, and therefore develop family bonds.
Every Korean child knows the best thing about “Sol Nal”. It is getting New Years money (Se Be Don) by big bowing (Se Be) to older generations such as their grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, and etc… Koreans have different manner of speech and respect for older generations. First of all, younger generations have to use formal language (Jon Daen Mal) toward older generations. This is all about giving respect and having manners. While they perform their “Se Be or Jol”, they say “Sae Hae Bok Man Hi Ba Du Sae Yo” which means, to receive a lot of luck this year. After the children “Se Be” The older generation gives them a little bit of wisdom or life’s philosophy (Dok Dam). The older generation will talk about the importance of family, respect for elders, school, and good and bad habits of the child and what to do in the future. Then they would give the younger generation money.
A similar holiday to “Sol Nal” is “Ch’u Suk” (Thanksgiving or Full Moon Harvest). This is the day of good harvest and the final stage of farming. “Chu” means autumn and “Suk” means night time in Korean. It is a day when there is going to be a full moon and it is celebrated on the 15th of August. Another word for “Ch’u Suk” is “Han Ga Wi”. During “Ch’u Suk”, Korean families visit the graves of passed ancestors and initiate “Je Sa”. This is when Koreans set up and offers a table full of newly harvested crops, fruits, fish, Korean alcohol (So Ju), Incense stick (Hyang), and of course “Ttok” and do big bows but this time, it is called “Ye Bae”. This act is to give respect and remember the deceased ancestors and ask for luck, happiness, and well being. This is the day when Koreans appreciate and thank the ancestors for good harvest.
There were major differences between the way the celebration of “Sol Nal” is carried out now and in the past. The difference is the mind (Ui Sik) of the people. A long time ago, during the Choson Period (Yi Ssi Cho Son to be exact), women stayed in their rooms preparing food for “Sol Nal” (Sol Bim) amongst each other without the help from men. Cooking, cleaning, and serving was their part and playing and enjoying was the men’s part. During this time, women were not equal to men, and they were more like servants. Men stayed in the other room gambling, drinking, eating, and probably talking about farming. But after the Japanese occupation, Korean War, and after 8 different presidents, things started to change. Now, women and men eat, play, and enjoy together equally. But in some families, the old tradition has carried over but it is not to the extremity of that period. There are understandings and acceptances (In Jung) to some cases now days between the older generation to the younger and to the men to the women.
When I asked my uncle if he will continue to engage in this celebration in the future and his answer was “Yes, of course!” When he gets old, maybe 80 or 90, he would want his daughter and her children to come to his house and celebrate this never ending traditional holiday. He wants the family to be bonded and even closer so that he can pass this tradition to the younger generation. My uncle is very proud of this family gathering event and told me that this is his culture’s identity. Even though he is here in the US, He is still Korean. He wants to follow American traditions as well but he does not want to forget his Korean tradition and show his daughter, his identity.
The difference between the American and Korean New Years is that Koreans go by the lunar calendar but Americans go by the Sun Calendar. Koreans get “Se Be Don” and play “Yut Nol Yi” and there are food and culture differences between the two. “Sol Nal” is when people leave from work, or where they live to gather in one place. It is a big national movement. Usually the family meets at “K’un Jip’” The house of the families oldest or the highest position. For example, if my grandparents’ house is in New York, my family is going there for “Sol Nal”. If my grandparents are in Korea, then my uncle comes to my house because my dad is older. This is a day when we get reminded of the family’s importance as well as passing down our culture. The word “Sol” is only Korean. It is not derived from Chinese or any other places. It is Korea’s identity and soul.