A first-birthday party, '돌잔치'

These days we don't have to prepare a table for the celebration of a baby's first birthday or cook lunch or dinner at home, because we can now have the party at a restaurant. I also had my eldest daughter's first birthday party at a restaurant. It was very good for me to not be concerned at all. But I had it for my youngest daughter at home, so I was busy to preparing the table for the celebration. A first-birthday party, 'Doljanchi', part of traditional Korean cultures, is to celebrate the baby's birthday and to pray for the baby's well-being. The 'Dol' of 'Doljanchi' means taking turn of 12 months. There is a special ceremony, 'Doljabi', played during the party. The 'Doljabi' is a ceremony in which a kid to grabs something from the table set up for the celebration. The kid's choice is so meaningful at her "Doljabi" because adults guess the kid's future job in the future based on it. For example, there is a pencil, a notebook, some money, a mike, a stethoscope, some rice, some thread, some cotton etc. on the table. These things seem to change a little with the times. If the kid grabs a pencil at her doljabi, people then think her job will be as a teacher or a scholar. If the kid grabs money or rice, people then think that she will become rich. If the kid grabs a mike, people then think her job will be as a singer or a broadcaster. If the kid grabs a stethoscope, people then think her job will be as a doctor. If the kid grabs the cotton threat, people then think that her life will be long. My eldest daughter grabbed a pencil and my youngest daughter grabbed rice. This ceremony is just for fun and is unreliable. ****** 요즘은 돌상을 식당에서 준비하기 때문에 점심 또는 저녁을 직접 준비할 필요가 없어서 좋아요. 제 큰 딸도 식당에서 돌잔치를 했어요. 제가 신경을 전혀 쓰지 않아도 되니까 아주 좋았어요. 작은 딸은 집에서 돌잔치를 해서 돌상을 준비하느라 바빴어요. '돌잔치'는 한국의 전통문화 중의 하나로, 아기의 첫 번째 생일을 축하하고 아기의 번영을 기원해요. '돌잔치'의 ‘돌’은 12개월을 한 바퀴 돌았다는 뜻이에요. '돌잔치'에는 '돌잡이'라는 특별한 놀이가 있어요. 그 '돌잡이'는 아이가 '돌상' 위에 있는 물건을 잡는 놀이에요. '돌잡이'에서 그 아이의 선택은 아주 특별한 의미가 있어요. 왜냐하면 어른들은 그 놀이를 통해서 앞으로 그 아이의 직업을 추측하기 때문이에요. 예를 들면, 상 위에는 연필, 공책, 돈, 마이크, 청진기, 쌀, 무명실 등이 있어요. 이런 물건들은 시대에 따라 조금씩 변하는 것 같아요. 만약 아이가 '돌잡이'에서 연필을 잡으면, 사람들은 아이가 나중에 선생님이나 학자가 된다고 생각해요. 만약 돈이나 쌀을 잡으면 부자가 될 거라 생각해요. 만약 마이크를 잡으면 가수나 방송인이 된다고 생각해요. 만약 청진기를 잡으면 의사가 된다고 생각해요. 만약 무명실을 잡으면 무병장수 한다고 생각해요. 제 큰 딸은 연필을 잡았고, 작은 딸은 쌀을 잡았어요. 이것은 하나의 재미일 뿐 꼭 그렇게 된다는 것은 아니에요.

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