Hello everyone, I’m Juyeon.

Today is “Chobok” day in Korea! Not sure what that means? Then let’s explore more about Korea’s superstition! You can take a closer look of Korean culture! Follow me!

1. You must eat Samgyetang on Bok Days

In Korea, there is a method to divide days in a traditional way, and there is a part called as “Bok Days” that tells us the hottest season between July and August. Additionally, Chobok is the beginning of the Bok Days, Jungbok is the right middle of the Bok Days, and Malbok is the end of the Bok Days.

On Bok Days, Korean people eat ‘samgyetang’, a chicken dish with ginseng, jujube, garlic, and glutinous rice.

It was believed that in the past, ancestors could replenish their nutrition and survive over the heat by eating chicken with Chinese medicine, rather than eating something cold.

Today, it is not a must to eat samgyetang on Bok days, but tradition is being continued.

2. You can wash your knowledge away.

Have you ever felt as if your knowledge is washed away together with water, when you washed your hair after studying hard? There are many students in Korea who believe in this superstition.

However, this superstition has no scientific basis at all, and it is recommended to keep your head clean, as you may spoil the test as you may be annoyed by the itchy and dirty hair.

3. You should eat sticky snacks on Suneng test days

In Korea, all high school third grade students take the “Suneng(SAT)”, an college entrance exam held in November. (This year they will take SAT in December because of Covid-19)

During this season, people give sticky snacks, such as candy or Yeot (Korean taffy), as gifts to students. This belief originated from the desire to pass the exam, as sticky (붙다) means pass in Korean.

4. There should be no guest for 21 days for a newborn baby.

This is one of the well-kept superstitions in Korea.

In the past, this belief based on the story that a plague god could come into the house, but recent scientific observation shows that guests can carry germs or viruses that may harm babies and the mother with weak immunity after birth.

5. Rain makes your head bald.

As the environmental pollution became serious, the rain became a little bit more acidic. Since then, a new belief, that hair falls out because of rain, showed up.

But, is it true? Acid rain can cause skin irritation or respiratory problems, but it does not give enough effect to the scalp or hair to cause baldness.

Rather than rain, the shampoo or conditioner we use every day is said to have much stronger acidity than the acid rain.

Today I told you 5 Korean Superstitions stroies. Did you have fun with these stories? Next time, I will tell you about Korean culture on a new topic.
See you next time!