Throughout its many years of history, various calendar systems have been used inKorea. Many of them were adopted from thelunarChinese calendar system,[1][2] with modifications occasionally made to accommodate Korea's geographic location and seasonal patterns.
The solar Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1896, byGojong of Korea.[3] Koreans now mostly use theGregorian calendar; however, traditional holidays andage-reckoning for older generations are still based on the traditionallunisolar calendar.
During the earlyGoryeo period, the Tang-madeXuanming calendar (선명력; 宣明曆) was used until 1281.[4] While the Tang revised the Xuanming calendar several times Korea insisted on using an unmodified version untilMunjong's reign, when several improvised calendars, such as theSipchŏng (십정력; 十精曆),Ch'iryo (칠요력; 七曜曆),Kyŏnhaeng (견행력; 見行曆),Tun'gap (둔갑력; 遁甲曆), andT'aeil (태일력; 太一曆) calendars were created.[5]
In 1281 (the 7th year ofChungnyeol's reign) the Yuan-madeShòushí calendar (수시력; 授時曆) was adopted.[4] However, Goryeo scholars tended to prefer the obsolete Xuanming calendar, which they were more accustomed to. During the late Goryeo period a revised version of Shòushí, known as the Taet'ong calendar (대통력; 大統曆) saw limited use.[4]
Shòushí continued as the standard calendar until early Joseon when theCh'ilchŏngsan (칠정산; 七政算) was created to serve as the first Korea-specialized calendar system during the reign ofSejong the Great. The Ch'ilchŏngsan consisted of two books, theCh'ilchŏngsannaep'yŏn (칠정산내편; 七政算內篇) which detailed methods to accurately calculate dates and celestial movements regarding Korea's geographic location based on the Shòushí calendar, and theCh'ilchŏngsanoep'yŏn (칠정산외편;七政算外篇), which was based on theHuihui Lifa.[4]
Beginning in 1644 (22nd year ofInjo's reign), Korean scholars began discussing the adaptation of the Qing-madeShixian calendar (시헌력;時憲暦;siheollyeok), as the limitations of the Ch'ilchŏngsan became clear. Although the Shixian calendar was officially adopted in 1653 (4th year ofHyojong's reign), it was not implemented in earnest until 1725 (1st year ofYeongjo's reign) as Korean scholars had little knowledge of western astronomy (which heavily influenced the Shixian calendar) and the Qing were reluctant to reveal any information of their new innovation.[6]
The traditional calendar designated its years viaKorean era names from 270 to 963, thenChinese era names with Korean era names at a few times until 1894.[citation needed] In 1894 and 1895, the lunar calendar was used with years numbered from the foundation of theJoseon Dynasty in 1392.[3]
The Gregorian calendar was adopted on 1 January 1896,[7] with theKorean era name Geonyang (건양;建陽;lit. 'adopting solar calendar').[3]
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From 1945 until 1961 inSouth Korea, theDangun calendar was used, where Gregorian calendar years were counted from the foundation ofGojoseon in 2333BC (regarded as year one), the date of the legendary founding of Korea byDangun.[3] These Dangi (단기;檀紀) years were 4278 to 4294. This numbering was informally used with the Korean lunar calendar before 1945 but has only been occasionally used since 1961, and mostly in North Korea prior to 1997.
Although not being an official calendar, in South Korea, the traditional Korean calendar is still maintained by the government. The current version is based on theShixian calendar, which was in turn revised by Jesuit scholars.
InNorth Korea, theJuche calendar was used between 1997 and 2024 to number its years, based on the birth of the state's founderKim Il Sung.
Note that traditional Korean calendar has no concept of weekdays: the following are names of weekdays in the modern (Western) calendar.
| English | Hangul | Hanja | Transliteration | Heavenly body | 5 Elements (오행; 五行) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 일요일 | 日曜日 | il.yo.il:iryoil | Sun | |
| Monday | 월요일 | 月曜日 | wŏl.yo.il:woryoil | Moon | |
| Tuesday | 화요일 | 火曜日 | hwa.yo.il:hwayoil | Mars | Fire |
| Wednesday | 수요일 | 水曜日 | su.yo.il:suyoil | Mercury | Water |
| Thursday | 목요일 | 木曜日 | mok.yo.il:mogyoil | Jupiter | Wood |
| Friday | 금요일 | 金曜日 | kŭm.yo.il:geumyoil | Venus | Metal |
| Saturday | 토요일 | 土曜日 | tho.yo.il:toyoil | Saturn | Earth |
In modern Korean language, the months of both the traditional lunisolar and Western calendars are named by prefixingSino-Korean numerals towol, theSino-Korean word for "month". Traditionally, when speaking of individuals' birth months, the months of the lunisolar calendar were named by prefixing the native Korean name of the animal associated with eachEarthly Branch in theChinese zodiac todal, the native Korean word for "month". Additionally, the first, eleventh, and twelfth months have other Korean names which are similar to traditional Chinese month names.[8] However, the other traditional Chinese month names, such asXìngyuè ("apricot month") for the second month, are not used in Korean.
| Modern name | Traditional name | Notes | Chinese Equivalent | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Translation | Hangul | RR | Translation | Hangul | RR | Month number | Earthly Branch name | Modern name | Starts on Gregorian date (annually the dates shifts due to the lunar cycle) | |
| Month 1 | 1월 (일월) | Il-wol | Tiger Month | 호랑이달 | Ho-rang-i-dal | 1 | 寅月;yínyuè; 'tiger month' | 正月;zhēngyuè; 'first month' | between 21 January – 20 February | |
| Primary Month | 정월 (正月) | Jeong-wol | A loanword from ChineseZhēngyuè | |||||||
| Month 2 | 2월 (이월) | I-wol | Rabbit Month | 토끼달 | To-kki-dal | 2 | 卯月;mǎoyuè; 'rabbit month' | 二月;èryuè; 'second month' | between 20 February – 21 March | |
| Month 3 | 3월 (삼월) | Sam-wol | Dragon Month | 용달 | Yong-dal | 3 | 辰月;chényuè; 'dragon month' | 三月;sānyuè; 'third month' | between 21 March – 20 April | |
| Month 4 | 4월 (사월) | Sa-wol | Snake Month | 뱀달 | Baem-dal | 4 | 巳月;sìyuè; 'snake month' | 四月;sìyuè; 'fourth month' | between 20 April – 21 May | |
| Month 5 | 5월 (오월) | O-wol | Horse Month | 말달 | Mal-dal | 5 | 午月;wǔyuè; 'horse month' | 五月;wǔyuè; 'fifth month' | between 21 May – 21 June | |
| Month 6 | 6월 (유월) | Yu-wol | Sheep Month | 양달 | Yang-dal | 6 | 未月;wèiyuè; 'goat month' | 六月;liùyuè; 'sixth month' | between 21 June – 23 July | |
| Month 7 | 7월 (칠월) | Chir-wol | Monkey Month | 원숭이달 | Won-sung-i-dal | 7 | 申月;shēnyuè; 'monkey month' | 七月;qīyuè; 'seventh month' | between 23 July – 23 August | |
| Month 8 | 8월 (팔월) | Par-wol | Rooster Month | 닭달 | Dak-dal | 8 | 酉月;yǒuyuè; 'rooster month' | 八月;bāyuè; 'eighth month' | between 23 August – 23 September | |
| Month 9 | 9월 (구월) | Gu-wol | Dog Month | 개달 | Gae-dal | 9 | 戌月;xūyuè; 'dog month' | 九月;jiǔyuè; 'ninth month' | between 23 September – 23 October | |
| Month 10 | 10월 (시월) | Shi-wol/ Si-wol | Pig Month | 돼지달 | Dwae-ji-dal | 10 | 亥月;hàiyuè; 'pig month' | 十月;shíyuè; 'tenth month' | between 23 October – 22 November | |
| Month 11 | 11월 (십일월) | Shi-bir-wol/ Shib-ir-wol | Rat Month | 쥐달 | Jwi-dal | 11 | 子月;zǐyuè; 'rat month' | 十一月;shíyīyuè; 'eleventh month' | between 22 November – 22 December | |
| Winter Solstice Month | 동짓달 | Dong-jit-dal | Compare ChineseDōngyuè, "Winter Month" | |||||||
| Month 12 | 12월 (십이월) | Shib-i-wol | Ox Month | 소달 | So-dal | 12 | 丑月;chǒuyuè; 'ox month' | 臘月; 腊月;làyuè; 'end-of-year month' | between 22 December – 21 January | |
| 섣달 | Seot-dal | Compare ChineseLàyuè, "preservation month" | ||||||||
The lunar calendar is used for the observation of traditional festivals, such asSeollal,Chuseok, andBuddha's Birthday. It is also used forjesa memorial services for ancestors and the marking of birthdays by older Koreans.
| Festival | Significance | Events | Date (Lunar) | Food |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seollal (설날) | Lunar New Year's Day | An ancestral service is offered before the grave of the ancestors, New Year's greetings are exchanged with family, relatives and neighbors; bows to elders (sebae, 세배, 歲拜),yut nori (윷놀이). | Day 1 of Month 1 | rice cake soup (tteokguk, 떡국), honey cakes (yakgwa, 약과, 藥果). |
| Daeboreum (대보름, 大보름) | First full moon | Greeting of the moon (dalmaji, 달맞이), kite-flying, burning talismans to ward off evil spirits (aengmagi taeugi, 액막이 태우기), bonfires (daljip taeugi, 달집 태우기). | Day 15 of Month 1 | rice boiled with five grains (o-gok-bap, 오곡밥, 五穀飯), eating nuts, e.g. walnuts, pine nuts, peanuts, chestnuts (bureom, 부럼), wine drinking (gwibalgisul) |
| Meoseumnal (머슴날) | Festival for servants | Housecleaning, coming of age ceremony, fishermen's shaman rite (yeongdeunggut, 영등굿) | Day 1 of Month 2 | stuffed pine-flavored rice cakes (songpyeon, 송편) |
| Samjinnal (삼짇날) | Migrant swallows return | Leg fighting, fortune telling. | Day 3 of Month 3 | azalea wine (dugyeonju, 두견주, 杜鵑酒), azalea rice cake (dugyeonhwajeon, 두견화전, 杜鵑花煎) |
| Hansik/ Hanshik (한식, 寒食) | Beginning of farming season | Visit to ancestral grave for offering rite, and cleaning and maintenance. | Day 105 afterwinter solstice | cold food only: mugwort cake (ssuktteok, 쑥떡), mugwort dumplings (ssukdanja, 쑥단자), mugwort soup (ssuktang, 쑥탕) |
| Chopail (Cho-pa-il) (초파일, 初八日) orSeok-ga Tan-shin-il (석가탄신일; 釋迦誕生日) | Buddha's Birthday | Yeondeunghoe (Lotus Lantern festival) | Day 8 of Month 4 | rice cake (jjintteok, 찐떡), flower rice cake (hwajeon, 화전, 花煎) |
| Dano (단오, 端午) orSurit-nal (수릿날) | Spring festival | Washing hair withiris water, wrestling (ssireum, 씨름), swinging, giving fans as gifts | Day 5 of Month 5 | rice cake with herbs (surichwitteok, 수리취떡), herring soup (junchiguk, 준치국) |
| Yudu (유두, 流頭) | Water greeting | Water greeting, washing hair to wash away bad luck | Day 15 of Month 6 | Five coloured noodles (yudumyeon, 유두면), cooked rice cake (sudan, 수단, 水團) |
| Chilseok (칠석, 七夕) | Meeting day of Gyeonwu and Jiknyeo, in Korean folk tale | Fabric weaving | Day 7 of Month 7 | wheat pancake (miljeonbyeong, 밀전병), steamed rice cake with red beans (sirutteok, 시루떡) |
| Baekjung (백중, 百中) | Worship to Buddha | Worship to Buddha. | Day 15 of Month 7 | mixed rice cake (seoktanbyeong, 석탄병, 惜呑餠) |
| Chuseok (추석, 秋夕) | Harvest festival | Visit to ancestral grave,ssireum, offering earliest rice grain (olbyeosinmi, 올벼신미, --新味), circle dance (ganggang sullae, 강강술래) | Day 15 of Month 8 | pine-flavored rice cake stuffed with chestnuts, sesame or beans (songpyeon, 송편), taro soup (torantang, 토란탕) |
| Jungyangjeol (중양절, 重陽節) | Migrant sparrows leave | Celebrating autumn with poetry and painting, composing poetry, enjoying nature | Day 9 of Month 9 | chrysanthemum pancake (gukhwajeon, 국화전, 菊花煎), fish roe (eo-ran, 어란, 魚卵), honey citron tea (yuja-cheong, 유자청, 柚子淸) |
| Dongji (동지, 冬至) | Winter Solstice | Rites to dispel bad spirits. | Around December 22 in the solar calendar | red bean porridge with rice dumplings (patjuk, 팥죽) |
| Seot-dal Geum-eum (섣달그믐) | New Year's Eve | Staying up all night long with all doors open to receive ancestral spirits | Last day of Month 12 | mixed rice with vegetables (bibimbap, 비빔밥), bean powder rice cakes (injeolmi, 인절미), traditional biscuits (han-gwa, 한과, 韓菓) |
There are also many regional festivals celebrated according to the lunar calendar.
...Korean calendars Calendars were adopted from China...
... Korea used the Chinese calendar for ...
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