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 Home >> Attractions >> Tradition festival days
Dan-o the Early Summer Holiday

Dano, also called Surinnal, Jungojol, Chonjungjol, and Danyang, falls on the fifth of the fifth lunar calendar. Dan-, the first syllable of Dano, means "first" and o means "five," thus Dano means the "First Fifth Day."
Dan-o is one of the most important holidays representative of Korea's traditional cultures, along with Chuseok (Aug. 15th of the lunar calendar) and Seol (Jan. 1st of the lunar calendar). This is a day for wishing for a successful harvest and preparing for the summer after seeds have been sown and rice plants have been planted. Korean people believed that by praying after the planting has been completed, they would have a good harvest and would keep evils away from them. On the days before and after every lunar May 5th, the Dan-o, a festive mood brings people together in various parts of Seoul with traditional events such as street parades and royal processions, as well as traditional games including teeter-tottering and jegi. Today, this festival is one of the most enriching elements of our urban life, though it has somehow lost of its meaning.

There is a very special traditional practice for this huge traditional holiday. People wash their face with sweet flag dew (Sweet flag is an iris-like plant) and their hair with water made by steaming sweet flag. This keeps hair straight and shiny and helps it from falling off. The steamed sweet flag water is also known to be healthy if you drink it. Besides people used to wear iris flowers on their ears and used the root of sweet flag to hold their hair neat. They even take bath with the steamed sweet flag water, which was also believed to keep evils away.   

Some interesting practices take place during the Dan-o holiday: As it is around the time where the weather is starting to get hot and humid, people often exchange fans as a gift, as a way to wish each other health and well-being in spite of the heat.   Another practice is called "the Jujube tree wedding". Koreans normally choose this very special day to prune their trees, thus hoping for them to give more fruits.   This pruning is seen as a major event and very much celebrated.
The other traditional events taking place during the Dan-o holiday include: picking mugworts and motherworts, making and wearing amulets to fight the evil, etc.

Outdoor games are also held during Dan-o

Folk recreation such as swinging, archery, and Ssirum (traditional Korean wrestling) were enjoyed, and memorial services and shaman rituals were held as group folk events.
It was believed that swinging (a swing would be hung from the branch of a zelkova or willow tree near the entrance of the village) would protect villagers against illnesses.   If it rained as well, it was a good sign for farmers as it was expected that there would be sufficient rain for the rest of the year.

On that day, Mandu and Suritteok Cake would be traditionally cooked.
Dan-o is a spring festival, whilst Chuseok is an autumn festival. Dan-o is therefore more celebrated within cold weather areas. The most famous Dan-o festival held locally has to be the Gangneung Dan-o Festival.
Dan-o Festival in Seoul

Dan-o Hanmadang Festival

Dan-o Hanmadang Festival is held in Yeongdeung-po Park at 1:00PM on June 16th. The traditional games taking place on Dan-o, i.e. washing hair with steamed sweet flag water, Ssireum competition, Tuho (the throwing of arrows into a pot), Jeki Chaki, racing with water bucket on the head, etc. will welcome anyone willing to participate.   Traditional dance performances and musics are also planned on that day.
Various exhibitions such as flower exhibition, cartoon exhibition, straw culture exhibition, etc. will be housed also, during which free face painting will be available.

Place Yeongdeungpo Park
Tel Yeongdeungpon culture center 02-846-0155~6
How to get there Get off at   Yeongdeungpo station Subway Line 1 and go out through the back exit.         

Seoul Dan-o Folk Festival

Seoul Dan-o Folk Festival is sponsored by the City Hall and has many events in store. Everyone is welcome to participate in the activities and games organized for the day, and which aim at reviving the traditional customs related to this holiday.
The Traditional Cultural Art Group will be giving a performance also, with typical Koreans plays such as Chunhyangjun and traditional instruments representation.

Place Boranae Park
Tel 02-3707-9419
How to get there
1.Get off at Shindaebang station Subway Line 2.   Take Exit #4 and walk towards Munchang Elementary School (10-minute walk).
2.Get off at Boramae station Subway Line 7 and walk towards Boramae Park (10-minute walk).
19-07-2001
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