Many North Koreans living outside of Pyongyang appear to have placed more importance on the Feb. 15 Jeongwol Daeboreum (the first full moon of the year) festival than on the Day of the Shining Star, the holiday on Feb. 16 that commemorated Kim Jong Il’s birthday.
A source in North Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on Feb. 16 that, “Compared to previous years, there are more citizens in Hoeryong this year saying they will definitely be eating five-grain rice and gwibalgisul [ear-quickening wine, said to help people hear good news throughout the year].
“[By doing this] people think bad luck will go away and things will turn out well,” the source added.
“Various events were held on a continuous basis before the General [Kim Jong Il]’s birthday, such as performances, festivals, meetings to sing songs of loyalty, but few people felt moved [to participate],” the source continued. “People participated in such meetings as a formality, but then went home and focused more on praying for the well-being of their family.”
The North Korean government has designated Kim Jong Il’s birthday, the day Kim Jong Un was appointed as first secretary of the Workers’ Party (Apr. 11), Kim Jong Un’s appointment as first chairman of the National Defense Commission (Apr. 13), the 110th anniversary of Kim Il Sung’s birth (the Day of the Sun, Apr. 15), and the 130th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army (Apr. 25), as part of “the nation’s greatest celebratory period.”
Although the authorities are promoting this period as one of great importance that should be grandly celebrated by all citizens, things do not seem to be going as planned. North Koreans do not appear to be very enthusiastic about these holidays, which was on full display through the lack of popular interest in the recent events surrounding Kim Jong Il’s birthday celebrations.
But one holiday that is celebrated in a grand fashion by North Koreans is the first full moon of the new lunar year. Besides eating five-grain rice and drinking gwibalgisul, people also make side dishes out of nine dried vegetables, including mushrooms, pumpkin, dried chili pepper leaves, different kinds of ferns, and radish.
This year, however, people said that they would be eating five-grain rice, gwibalgisul, and using only three of the traditional nine wild vegetables for side dishes. This means people are having six fewer kinds of wild vegetables compared to last year.
North Koreans eat five-grain rice because it is believed to clear away all the bad luck from the previous year, and they drink the gwibalgisul to only hear good news moving forward, the source explained.
Originally, these customs were aimed at expressing hopes for a good harvest and to hear only good news in the new year. But this year, many North Koreans are praying for all the bad luck caused by COVID-19 to go away and for the border closure to finally be lifted.
One resident of the Yeokjeon district of Hoeryung who spoke with a Daily NK source said the economic situation has indeed been very difficult for the people.
“Last year I did not have enough money, so the morning of the Daeboreum holiday I just ate ordinary white rice,” the man, surnamed Choi, said. “This year, I heard that eating five grain rice would result in things working out well [in the new year], so I started preparing the necessary grains starting a few days ago.
“In the hopes that all the troubles of the past two years will end quickly, the whole family each drank one glass of gwibalgisul at midnight,” Choi continued, adding, “This year, it is said that if you bow three times facing the full moon, all your wishes will come true. So many people are looking forward to this full moon [holiday].”
Translated by Gabriela Bernal
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