명절에 대한 외국인학생들 의견
The Chonnam Tribune asked international students for their opinions about Korean national holidays such as Chuseok (Thanksgiving Day) and Seollal (Lunar New Year) and how to celebrate their national holidays here in Korea. Let’s listen to what they said.
Alvina Joanna (Freshman, Faculty of Business Administration)
Q: What is your favorite Korean national holiday and why?
A: Chuseok is my favorite Korean holiday. Since most Korean people migrate to their hometowns to meet their families, the big cities are less crowded than usual. It's fun to meet up with other foreigners in the city and enjoy the facilities available or even travel to other famous tourist sites. A must for me at Chuseok is songpyeon, it’s extremely delicious.
Pham Ngoc Quynh Giao (Ph.D student, School of Architecture Engineering)
Q: What is your favorite Korean national holiday? What did you do on that day?
A: My favorite holidays in Korea are Korean Thanksgiving Day and Independence Day. Korea's Independence Day was my favorite time to rest and picnic with friends. We participated in a program of outdoor activities for international students at the Muan Lotus Festival. We also in a treasure hunt and and won the challenge! It was very fun. For Chuseok, we have a long holiday and we can enjoy traditional cakes from Korea as well as hiking in the cool weather. Also, we can participate in cultural festivals throughout the streets of Korea.
Abdumajidkhon Isakhonov (Sophomore, Faculty of Business Administration)
Q: Do Korea's national holidays help you to understand Korean people's lives and cultural values?
A: There are many holidays in Korea that show Korean culture and values. Among them, however, Lunar New Year which is known as 'Seollal' in Korea has helped me to understand and feel Korean cultural values. In this holiday, families gather and do cultural activities such as wearing Hanbok, cooking and sharing traditional rice cakes, visiting the deceased family members' graves to show respect and so on. So this holiday gave me lots of experience and knowledge about Korean life and culture.
Mizuno Erina (Exchange Student, Dept. of Japanese Language and Literature)
Q: How do you plan to spend Japanese holidays in Korea?
A: The biggest holiday in Japan is New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. People usually visit a shrine on New Year’s Day to pray for their happiness and prosperity. After that, it is natural to see all families get together. Since I am not in Japan, I plan to spend time with friends and call my family to wish them good luck in the New Year.
Syeda Shamima Nasrin (Sophomore, Major of System Biology)
Q: How did you celebrate your national holidays here in Korea?
A: There is a well-organized community for Bangladeshi students here at CNU, so we spend most national days together. For example, April 14 is the first day of the Bengali New Year and we celebrate by throwing a small party in a traditional way. Sometimes to keep up with our busy schedule, we have to celebrate nationally significant days in nearest weeks.