National Foundation Day
Gaecheonjeol is a public holiday in South Korea on Oct. 3. Also known by the English name National Foundation Day, this holiday celebrates the formation of the first Korean state of Gojoseon in 2333 BC. This date has traditionally been regarded as the date for the founding of the Korean nation. Korean mythology holds that Hwanung descended from heaven to live with mankind. According to the legend, in his kingdom were a bear and a tiger who wished to become human.
Hwanung told them that if they remained in a cave for 100 days eating nothing but mugwort and garlic, they would become like people. The tiger got bored, but the bear lasted it out and became a beautiful woman. She and Hwanung bore a son called Tangun Wanggom, meaning Sandalwood King. When he grew up, he built his own city at the present site of P’yongyang (now the capital of North Korea) and called his new kingdom Choson, meaning “morning freshness” or “morning calm.”
On Oct. 9, Korean’s celebrate Hangul Day, which is the day their alphabet was established. The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul in South Korea and elsewhere and as Chosŏn’gŭl in North Korea and China, is the alphabet that has been used to write the Korean language since the 15th century. In its classical and modern forms, the alphabet has 24 consonant and vowel letters. However, instead of being written sequentially like the letters of the Latin alphabet, Hangul letters are grouped into blocks.
Halloween
It wouldn’t be October if we didn’t mention Halloween. Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain.
The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating. In a number of countries around the world, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people continue to usher in the winter season with gatherings, costumes and sweet treats.
