Most
South Koreans speak Han'gul. Han'gul
is very different to any other language.
The letters are different from our
alphabet. Reading words in Han'gul
is different too because you have
to read them from top to bottom as
well as from left to right.
Practise
reading Han'gul yourself! Roll your
cursor over the word written in Han'gul.
What word does it spell?
Myths and legends are very popular in
South Korea. Parents tell them to their
children, and so on. This way, these
stories are passed from one generation
to another. Some of them are very old.
One
of the most popular legends is about
Tan-gun and how Korea began. to
read the story.
Once
you have read the story, you can write
your own storyboard about Tan-gun. Think
how you could divide the story up into
six parts, each with its own picture
and short description. to
print out a storyboard for you to draw
your pictures and write your descriptions.
These
children are dressed up for Chusok,
one of South Korea's most important
festivals. Do you ever dress up for
a festival or celebration?
Chusok
is a big festival that happens half-way
through the eighth moon of the year.
Families make special food to share
with their neighbours, like rice cakes
in the shape of a half moon. They prepare
food for their ancestors
too. This is a way of saying thanks.
The
position of the moon is also important
in marking the beginning of the New
Year in South Korea. This happens in
late January or in February when the
first moon appears. Like the Chinese,
South Koreans believe that everybody
born in one year shares the characteristics
of a particular animal.
There
are twelve different years in all, each
with its own animal. After twelve years,
the list of animals starts all over
again. To find your animal year, roll
over the different icons until you find
the year you were born.
Now
visit www.lifeinkorea.com/culture/astrology/astrology.cfm
and click on the name of your animal.
This will tell you what people born
in your year are supposed to be like.
Does it describe you correctly?
You
could make a poster about you and your
animal year and win a prize! Click on
the competitions
page to find out more.
©Jean-Léo
Dugast/Panos Pictures
