European culture is fundamentally different from Asian. This is manifested in absolutely all social and everyday nuances, therefore Asia is incredibly attractive for tourists from all over the world. Of particular interest is the culture and customs of South Korea, which for quite some time was in some isolation from the rest of the world. Today, Europeans find this country incredibly beautiful and original, so we decided to tell you the most interesting facts about the culture of Koreans.
Culture of Korea: features
At the beginning of the article, I would like to clarify that Koreans are an indivisible nation that has common traditions, religion and customs. But due to certain circumstances, the country was divided into parts and now represents two absolutely sovereign states - South and North Korea. In cases where journalists or sociologists mention Korea, they mean the state called South Korea. We will do the same. Moreover, the cultural heritage of both countries is identical.
South Korea: Customs and Traditions
Korean culture was formed under the influence of the Chinese and Mongolian people. This can be traced to some elements of folk costume and musical addictions, surprisingly reminiscent of traditional Chinese chants. If you ever find yourself in Korea, you will be surprised how often music and songs are heard on the city streets. They accompany the life of an ordinary Korean from birth to death.
Religion has greatly influenced the cultural traditions of Korea. Initially, almost all Koreans were bright adherents of shamanism. Only with the advent of the first Buddhist monks from China to these lands a new religion began to spread throughout the country. She entered the life of Koreans amazingly quickly and overlapped with their traditions. In addition, Buddhism gave a powerful impetus to the development of art. Traditional painting, for example, under the influence of the new religion was enriched with previously unused styles and trends. Silk painting and paintings in the style of naturalism became popular.
In the culture of Asian peoples, a special place is held by the older generation. This tradition can be attributed to the Koreans. Among them, it is still customary to treat elders with great respect and to fulfill their words without reservation. Quite often, being among strangers, Koreans seek to find out their social status and age. It is from this that they repel, building a model of behavior in society.
Korean marriage: how is it?
Young Koreans above all respect the will of their parents and marry only after their blessing. Indeed, in Korea, divorce is considered a shame not only for two people, but also for their families. Nowadays, weddings are played mainly in two versions - traditional and Western-style. Thus, all secular laws and cultural traditions are respected. The most common outfit for any occasion is the Korean national hanbok costume. He is admired by Europeans, because this clothing is a riot of colors and simplicity of lines, which together add up to an incredibly attractive image.
Korean folk costume: general description
The costume, which in Korea is a national holiday dress, is called hanbok. It has been preserved almost unchanged for several millennia. The Korean national costume consists of three main parts:
- chogori;
- chima;
- open.
Chogori is the top shirt, Chhima is the skirt of the A-shaped silhouette, and to the open, these are wide and long ribbons that prevent the shirt from swinging open and are a decorative element of the costume.
Men's Korean suit consists of the following elements:
- chogori;
- paji;
- pho.
The upper chogori shirt in a man’s suit is not much different from a woman’s one, and the padzhi pants are comfortable baggy trousers tied to two ribbons, which makes them almost universal. In the cold season, a variety of coats, pho, were worn on the chogori.
Hanbok color scheme
In various catwalk photos, the Korean national costume appears to foreigners as something surprisingly colorful. Koreans know how to combine bright and rich colors among themselves to create unique images. Usually in one suit two or three colors are used in unusual combinations. Often, Chhima and Chogori were decorated with gold foil embroidery, which was elevated to the rank of a special art in Korea.
The bright colors of hanbok were always available only to noble Koreans. They had the right to use all kinds of colors, which often played an informational role when meeting friends. For example, only women with one son could wear a deep blue color.
Common people were forbidden to use bright colors: their Korean national costume was replete with shades of gray and beige. On holidays, the poor could allow some color diversity - pink and green colors. But she always had very pale shades as opposed to the pure and rich colors of the hanbok of the aristocrats.
What material was the hanbok made of?
The Korean national costume was most often sewn from mixed cotton fabrics. They wore well in the hot season, in other seasons their silk clothes were common. But only the rich could afford such a variety. The main population of Korea wore a plain cotton or hemp hanbok.
Female hanbok: details
It is worth noting that throughout the entire history of its existence, a folk costume changed only its length and design elements. In general terms, he remained holistic, which speaks of its extreme convenience, which the Koreans are proud of to this day. The upper chogori shirt has always been short enough, in the traditional version it reaches the waist. But at different times, its length changed significantly. For example, in the eighteenth century, the chogori turned into a kind of top, barely covering his chest. In some provinces, it completely left the chest not closed, which indicated that the woman had children.
Chima also did not always have today's bell shape. Under the influence of Mongolian and Chinese culture, from the seventeenth century the skirt began to expand to the hips and taper to the legs. In the nineteenth century, this form of Chhima reached its maximum expansion and gradually began to take on a more traditional form. Now the skirt of the national costume begins immediately under the chest and expands to the floor. The open ribbons were initially very narrow, but over time they began to be made from a fabric that is contrasting to the color, to create an additional design element from them.
Hanbok: men's suit
Hanbok for men almost did not undergo major changes. Chogori and pajas were often made from fabrics of different colors, which made it possible to create unique combinations and combinations. In a man’s suit, the chogori reaches the middle of the thigh and has a loose fit, unlike the fitted female version.
As outerwear, men often wore not only the already mentioned pho, but also magoge - a sleeveless jacket and a removable collar. It was customary to wear it over the chogori and not fasten it. This item of clothing came to Korean culture thanks to the Mongol princesses. But after a few years, it has become so fused with the traditional hanbok that it is still considered the main part of the national costume not only for men, but also for women.
