Korean New Year (2)

Korean New Year (2) - The memorial service for Korean's own ancestors.

I am not sure whether "the memorical service for ancestors" is translated in english correctly. Anyway, as you can see the picture, it's called "cha rae"[차례]. It's kind of the respectful service for Koreans' own ancestors.

It's originated from Confucianism which was accepted in the Chosun dynasty as a national religion and a efficiently ruling idea.

I think you already know that Koreans love hot and spicy food. But you won't find out hot and spicy food on the service. It's totally banned that hot, spicy and red color food including peppers and garlics is put on because the red means that ancestors' spirits don't prefer. Obviously, it could be kind of shamanism or idolraty, which is believing idols.

Because Koreans practice worships for acestors like idols, Christian people deny this ritual ceremony with one of the Ten Commandments from the Holy Bible that says "I am the LORD thy God, thou shalt have no other gods before me."

There are other regulations when Koreans set up the table. Fish should be on east and fish's head should be headed for right side. Meat should be on west-side. Koreans put dried seafood like a squid on the left side of the table. And red-colored fruits like apples are on right side of the table.

As like that there are lots of dialects from each area in one language, the methods how to set up are different from family, region, and so on.

차례(charae), the memorial service for ancestors, is usually being held twice a year, 설날(the Korean new year) and 추석(chusok : the Korean Thanksgiving day).

----NEW WORDS

차례 (charae) : the ancestral memorial service in Korea

a picture : 사진[sa jin]

Confucianism : 유교 (you gyo)

Christianism : 기독교 (gi dok gyo)

Buddhism : 불교 (bul gyo)

#. ~교 means a kind of religion.

an apple : 사과(sa gwa / sa gua)

a squid : 오징어 (oh jing oe)

----QUIZ

WHAT is "the memorial service for ancestors" called in Korean?