Marriage:

The Korean marriage is traditionally arranged by the parents of the two who are to be wed. However, in the cities of Korea, this custom is quickly fading from view. Young urban couples are choosing their own mates, based on romance, not family standing. In the country, most marriages are still arranged by parents.

Once the parents have agreed for their children to marry, the engagement begins. The groom traditionally sends the bride rolls of green and red cloth to make shirts and coats. The green symbolizes growth, and red represents passion. The groom also sends an engagement ring, preferably large, to the bride. In return, the bride purchases a watch or something of that kind for the groom.

The last step before the celebration is the approval of a fortune teller. One element (gold, fire, wood, earth, or water) is assigned to the bride and to the groom each according to their birth year and name. The different combinations of these elements predict a different outcome for the marriage. If evil or death is predicted, often an engagement will be cut off immediately.

In a rural marriage, the groom rides in a brightly colored palanquin with his family and the wedding chest carrier. This friend of the groom paints his face black and acts as a clown throughout the ceremony. The groom waits outside the bride's home until one of the bride's family members invite him in. The bride traditionally wears an extremely heavy and thick layer of rouge and foundation. The couple then exchanges the nuptial vows and sits down for the wedding feast. Just before the feast begins, the groom goes through an imaginary 'torture.' This is given to him by his friends who beat the groom's feet. After the wedding, the newlyweds spend three nights at the bride's home, before returning to the groom's house. Honeymoons are a new introduction to the Korean wedding and were never heard of until about fifty years ago.

Death and Funerals:

When an elder of the family dies, a male family member straightens the tongue of the corpse after all females have left the room. He then begins a formal wail which all the members of the household pick up. After this period of mourning, the soul is invited back to earth. The body is then washed and cleaned for the funeral. The body faces south in its coffin. If it is a parent or grandparent who has died, the family goes through three years of mourning.

Birthdays:

In the Korean culture, a child's first birthday is its most important. A huge feast is given for the many guests invited. Just before the feast, several gifts are placed on the table in front of the infant. They include a spindle of thread, a few coins, and other assorted things. The baby's future is predicted by the object he first grabs. For example, if the child picks the spindle of thread, a long and healthy life is predicted. Another important birthday is the sixty-first.