This past Saturday was my host dad's birthday! We gathered together to celebrate, combining Korean traditions with some of my host dad's favorite activities. So far, I've had the chance to celebrate five birthdays in Korea, but this one was definitely special.
After sleeping in, we woke up in the morning and had a special seaweed soup, miyukguk, that is customary to serve on birthdays. In the afternoon we went to a campsite and set up a grill. My host dad really loves nature, so we all enjoyed a nice afternoon in the forest, eating grilled meats and grilled deokk, or rice cake. Finally, we ended the day by meeting with some of my host dad's friends and eating another large meal, along with some delicious Korean birthday cake! We sang a Korean version of the happy birthday song: "saengil chukha hamnida"!
One interesting thing about birthdays and age in Korea is that when you are born, your Korean age is actually one year old. Moreover, your age actually changes on Korean New Years Day instead of on your birthday. So, everyone born in the same year is always the same age! My Korean age, 23, is two years older than my American age, which is 21. Calculate your Korean age here!
