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Lesson Transcript

Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class: Holidays in South Korea Series on KoreanClass101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Korean holidays and observances. I’m Brandon, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 4: Children’s Day.
Have you heard that children in Korea get to celebrate two birthdays? Well, the first one is the child's real birthday, and the second one is 어린이날 (eo-rini nal) Children’s Day. Children's Day falls on May 5th each year. Parents and relatives usually give gifts to children on this day and have picnics at places the children want to visit.
Now, before we go into more detail, do you know the answer to this question: where do most children want to visit on Children’s Day?
Children’s Day has a longer history than many people think. It began in May in the year 1923.
Back then, people were not concerned about the rights of children in society, so children didn’t have a very happy life. Realizing this, a novelist named 방정환 (Bang, Jeong-hwan) organized various groups to give children at least one happy day per year, and they set May 1st as Children’s Day.
The holiday disappeared for a while during the peak years of Japanese colonization, but since its reintroduction, it has been one of the most widely celebrated national holidays of South Korea.
Since Children’s day is just one day, lengthy travel is usually not possible. Instead, children typically enjoy time with their families, and go out with their parents to theme parks or zoos. Many parents will take their kids to a store to buy them gifts, or go out for a nice meal.
Before Children's Day comes around, kids tell their parents what gifts they would like. You’ll see many promotional events for children taking place during this season.
So which gifts do kids want the most on Children's Day? These days, most kids ask for electronics, including iPads and iPhones. But even just a couple of decades ago when Korea was still a developing country, a box with cookies and crackers was the most popular gift for children.
Here's our fun fact for the day! You may be wondering: how do people who aren't married or don’t have children spend Children's Day? Usually, they have a date or relax at home, but they may also visit social welfare organizations and spend time with children who can't spend Children's Day with their own parents.
Now, it’s time to answer our quiz question: where do most children want to go on this day? Well, the most popular destination is a theme park, such as Lotte World or Everland Resort. These places get very crowded, so it’s not easy to get on the rides. But these parks are still the most popular among families because they offer a fun environment, including great places to eat and lots of opportunities to see life-sized cartoon characters.
Well listeners, how was the lesson? Did you learn a lot of interesting things?
In your country, do you have a special day for children? If so, what events do you have?
Please leave us a comment at KoreanClass101.com
And we’ll see you next time!