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| Hansik day (cold food date) |
| Ancient Korean ate cold food on Hansik day, as the king prohibited heating building fires that day. |
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Hansik day has quite a unique background. Supposedly, the king of the day was the one who gave fire to his people, and so several days before the ¡°new fire¡± arrived, he ordered them to put out their ¡°old fires¡±, hence people had to eat cold food.
China has a similar custom, as they prohibited the building of fires on windy days, and they too ate cold food then.
Hansik day has been of relative importance since the Goryeo dynasty, and, with the government having decided the holidays of the year, people observe the custom of Seongmyo, a memorial service for ancestors. Another interesting tidbit is that prisoners were not sentenced on Hansik day; this being started during the Joseon dynasty.
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| 27-02-2002 |
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