DPRK Public Holidays

 DPRK Public Holidays

The biggest and important Festival in DPRK is 15th of April which is Kim Il Sung’ birthday. It is called Day of the Sun. For some important years there will be military parade and during the festival students or citizen will have big dancing party on Kim Il Sung Square or Street dress up with traditional clothes. Most of female will wear Korean beautiful traditional dress . It is called Chima and Joggori . If you join in the tour to North Korea during this time you could join in any group to dance with local people together.

New Years Day : 1st – January 

Birth Day of Kim Jong Il : 16th – February
Day of the Sun (Birth day of Kim Il Sung) : 15th – April
Foundation Day of The Korean People’s Army :25th – April
May Day Festival: 1st – May
Victorious Day: 27th – July
National Liberation Day : 15th – August
Foundation of the DPRK : 9th – September
Foundation of the Worker’s Party of Korea: 10th -October
Day of the DPRK Socialist Constitution: 27th – December.

Traditional Folk Holidays In North Korea

​North Korea is very close to China some of traditional folk holidays are quite similar to Chinese traditional festival.

Lunar New Year: (Similar like Chinese Spring Festival on lunar calendar 1st of January.Every year will be on the different date. It is the biggest Festival in China. Korean people also have Lunar New Year Festival as well on the same date. But in North Korea seems 1st of Jan(New Years Day) is bigger than 1st of Jan lunar calendar. Normally on the New Years Day Korean people like to see big firework near Taetong River)

 

 On Lunar New Year In North Korea, Koreans use to greet their elders in the morning and play several folk games. Several dishes made of meat , vegetables and herbs are taken.Besides, the traditional New Year dishes such as rice cake soup, dumpling soup, pop- rice cake, glutinous rice crackers, fruit punch and sweet juice made from fermented rice are popular. 

Chusok: In DPRK on  August 15th by lunar calendar. An autumn holiday after harvesting.Koreans visit their forefathers' graves, keep the graves tidy and hold memorial services. They play tug-of -war game(2 teams drag very strong string. If the string cross the line to which team. Then this team is going to win the game.). Varieties of rice food made of crops are popular.

(Chinese also have this festival visit their forefathers' graves, keep the graves tidy and hold memorial services.  It is called Qingming Festival but on April the 5th. On 15th of August Chinese lunar calender is called Moon Festival in China. Family members get together . On this date 15th lunar calender the moon is very big. People eating fruits and moon cake and drinking tea with family members together.)  

Tano: May 5th by lunar calendar. A spring holiday after sowing and transplanting. The weather is so fine that people go out to play colorful folk games. Especially Moran Hill situated on the bank of the River Taedong in Pyongyang is crowed with holiday makers. Barbecuing in Moran Hill is spectacular. The fragrant rice cake mixed with wormwood pasted and lettuce- wrapped rice are special dishes prepared for this day. 

 

(Chinese has the similar festival on Lunar calendar 5th of May it is called DUANWU Festival.Chinese will eat steamed rice wrapped with special plant leaves.There will be boats racing match show in some cities of China.)