Lee Joon Young's Happy 1st Birthday

This weekend I was invited to a Happy 1st Birthday Party for Lee Joon Young,the son of one of the staff who work at the E-Learning Center here at UBE. It was held in a big banquet hall with a buffet and there were many other 1st Birthday Parties happening at the same time. (That's the invitation on the left).

It was quite an event, complete with fuzzy characters who led everyone in singing and dancing. The family were wearing their traditional Korean clothing (hanbok), there was a cake-cutting ceremony, and a ceremony where the birthday boy chose from different objects which predict the kind of future he will have.

According to www.lifeinkorea.com, the items and their meanings are:
-bow and arrow: the child will become a warrior
-needle and thread: the child will live long
-jujube: the child will have many descendants
-book, pencil, or related items: the child will become a successful scholar
-rice or rice cake: the child will become rich (some resources say choosing a rice cake means the child is not smart)
-ruler, needle, scissors: the child will be talented with his/her hands
-knife: the child will be a good cook

Can you guess what Joon Young chose?




He chose a pen!

According to the same website, in the past, due to a lack of medical information, Korea's seasonal temperature differences, and many childhood related diseases, the death rate for children was extremely high. Many children died before their first birthday. After the age of one year, the survival rate steeply increased, making this milestone a very happy one for the child's parents. The tradition of celebrating a child's first birthday in particular continues today.