South Korea has 15 national holidays per year. Since you are all here for a year or two, you will experience a couple of Korean major holidays yourself like Lunar New Year and ChuSeok. South Korea uses the Lunar calendar for three of our holidays. That implies all those three holidays changing every year. South Korea used to have more than 15 holidays, but it all changed Korean workday & school days shorten to 5 days since 2012. Then, let's see what kind of holiday Korean have.

Related Link: Chinese Lunar Calendar Conversion Chart

New Year's Day: Jan, 1

Unlike other countries, this New Year's day is not as big as the Lunar New Year's day in South Korea. The government tried to change the New Year holiday as the 1st of January and tried not to duplicate both New Year holidays. However, people still considered Lunar New Year as the holiday, so the Lunar New Year became a 3-day holiday since 1989.

The Lunar New Year's Day: Jan, 1 Lunar Calendar

The Lunar New Year is changing every year because the lunar calendar is based on the movement of the moon. Commonly the Lunar new year comes within the middle of January to the midst of February. In South Korea, the holiday starts the day before New Year's Day and it ends the following day of New Year's Day.

Independence Movement Day: Mar, 1

1st day of March 1919, people from entire South Korea poured out and waved Taegukki. They shouted, "DaeHanDokRip ManSae" which means hurray for Korea Liberation. They didn't scare of gun points of the Japanese colony army. This is the day we remember the courage of our ancestors.

Buddha's Birthday: Lunar Calendar Apr, 8

This is another holiday using the lunar calendar. The holiday normally falls between the end of April to the end of May. South Korea is one of the biggest Buddhist countries in the world. You can enjoy the lotus lantern festival from any temples all over South Korea.

Children's Day: May, 5

This is a special day for children. The month of May includes Parents Day and Teacher's day, yet Children's day is the only holiday among them. This is the busiest day for toy stores, zoos, and amusement parks.

Memorial Day: June, 6

This is the day we remember soldiers who sacrificed for this country during the Korean War. The big ceremony takes place on National Cemetary every year on this day.

Liberation Day: August, 15

This is another Japanese colony period related holiday. This is the day the Japanese accepted the defeat from WWII after two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. South Korea celebrated its independence after 45 years of a long colony period.

ChuSeok: Lunar Calendar August, 15

ChuSeok is another name of Korean Thanksgiving day. It usually falls in the middle of September to the midst of October. It is the celebration of newly harvested grains, vegetables, and fruits. Also, the lunar calendar 15th of every month is the full moon day. This is the day all family members gather together to share food and enjoy the full moon.

National Foundation Day: Oct, 3

This is the day our national founding father Dangun establish our first nation, Gojoseon. This day, we build an altar and pray to the sky. This event is normally held everywhere in the country.

In the year 2020, South Korea will be 4,342 years old.

Hangeul Day: Oct, 9

The year 1443, King Sejong released Hoonminjungeum which is based on modern Hangeul. King Sejong felt bad for civilians who didn't have time to learn Chineses characters, he built the easiest, the simplest, and the most scientific characters in the world. If you ask me about positive things about Hangeul, I can talk to you all night. Therefore, we will talk about Hangeul later and talk about this holiday. Well, this is the day we celebrating our Hangeul. 😁

Christmas: Dec, 25

Does anyone have questions about Christmas? You might surprise since Christmas is not as big in South Korea. Christmas in this country is just like Buddha's Birthday. It is a holiday, but it serves a more religious purpose than a family holiday.

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