Airang

The Confucian social order is based upon the five human relationships (oryun-five ethics, 五倫) and it is this concept that has long dictated Korean behavior to a large extent. The importance of the Confucian social order in Korea can be observed especially on New Year's Day when, after the usual memorial services for ancestors, family members bow to grandparents, parents, older brothers, relatives, and so on in accordance with age. Young people may even seek out the village elders to pay their due respect by bowing to them, even though they are not related.
At meetings, social gatherings, or drinking parties, social order becomes an immediate question: who should greet whom first, who should sit where, who should sit down first, who should pour wine for whom first. Among close friends, those born earlier are treated as elder brothers and sisters. Among acquaintances, one is expected to use honorifics to those 10 years older than oneself. But in modern days, people address one another as equals.

Social Relations
Under Confucianism, the proper relationship between the genders was also based on one of the five human relationships, oryun(五倫). This system does not aim to subordinate women to men, but merely holds that both men and women have certain separate duties to perform and a set of ethics to observe vis-a-vis the other. In its practical application, this ideal, learned from an early age, affected not just husband and wife, but virtually all relations between the genders.
From early childhood, children played and grew up segregated by gender as illustrated in the adage: "Boys and girls at the age of seven should not be allowed to sit in the same room."
The strict application of these rules resulted in severe restrictions on women, while relative freedom was allowed for men. Women's behavior was dictated by the law of the three obediences: obeisance to the father before marriage, to the husband upon marriage, and to the son after the husband's death. Female submission to male authority was not due to the perception of innate female weakness or inadequacy; rather, it had to do with the strict separation of social spheres in the organization of society. The woman's role was "within," that is, within the home which was her domain to control. The man's role was "outside," and his concern was limited to the affairs of the state and life beyond the confines of the home.
It was the woman's duty to care for the children, to help her husband with the farm work, to prepare family meals, to make the family's clothes, and to create an atmosphere of peace so as to better enable her husband to concentrate on the larger issues of society. The female role was firmly established within the confines of the home and women were expected to adhere strictly to that role.
Although strict observance of Confucian-inspired ideals is now a rarity, Korean men and women are still conscious of their positions as expressed not only in their behavior but in their speech as well. Love and affection between man and woman is rarely expressed openly, not even between husband and wife. Likewise, just as there are special words and honorifics for use between family members and friends, so there are a special set of words used just between husband and wife as well.

Cooperative Organization
This is a special celebration for Koreans as few people in the past lived to be 60. With the increased longevity in recent years, the 70th birthday anniversary is also often observed. Children must honor their parents at this time with a large party. As it usually involves many guests, food and entertainment, it is quite costly. In order to prepare for this expensive event, money or rice is collected, either monthly or annually, to help each member to defray the cost of the celebration.
Traditionally, people prepared splendid funerals as expressions of their filial piety, and these also tended to be costly. To prepare for a parent's funeral, some people have formed a sangjogye. In such a gye, not only are there monetary benefits, but gye members also all pitch in to carry the bier, to serve as messengers, to dig the grave, etc.
Weddings also are expensive events as they not only entail the exchange of gifts and dowry, including bedding, furniture and household utensils, but also several large parties to entertain guests.
When the communal work is completed, a certain amount is usually set aside for a day of drinking and relaxing.
Highly illustrative of the Korean spirit of cooperation are games and dances, such as mask dances, and tug of war, performed at festivals and on special occasions.
Although many of these customs are disappearing, or revived solely for their recreational or aesthetic value, they are representative of the Korean people, their customs and values.

Annual Customs
For thousands of years, Koreans have reckoned time according to the lunar calendar. Contrary to common belief, the lunar calendar has always been adjusted to correspond to the solar year by adding a whole lunar month, to the lunar year twice every five years. This can be demonstrated by the fact that the solar calendar is divided into 24 equal portions (or called jeolgi, 切己) of which the equinoxes and solstices are used as fixed points. Even before the solar calendar was introduced to Asia, the lunar calendar recognized these jeol or seasonal nodes, as they are important dates for agricultural communities. Give or take one or two days, these nodes fall more or less on the same day by the solar calendar; this, however, is not the case with the lunar calendar. The most important jeolgi are of course the equinoxes and solstices, but ipchun (the advent of spring) is given more weight than others because it is the first node of the year and marks the approach of spring. Several special holidays are reckoned by the lunar calendar even today.
The first day of the first month, New Year's Day, or Seol, is one of the biggest holidays of the year. On this day, people traditionally dress their best, take off from work and gather with family to observe the ancestral ceremonies. A feast is spread and the younger members of the family make the New Year's bow to their elders. These youths then go around the neighborhood to offer New Year's greetings to their older relatives and acquaintances.

Sebae, bowing to parents and elders, is an age-old New Year's custom.

Many Korean families visit the ancestors' tombs to pay their homage in Chuseok.

Another important date by the lunar calendar is Chuseok, or the Harvest Moon Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the eighth month, usually in September or October by the solar calendar. As this date marks the harvest time, it is celebrated as enthusiastically as New Year's Day.
There are a few other important days in the lunar year. The 15th day of the first month is regarded as important since it is the first full moon of the year. People crack various kinds of nuts and set off firecrackers to exorcise harmful spirits, insects and animals. In the evening, a variety of traditional games are played under the moonlight. Tug of war, stone fights and mock fights with torches are a few examples of the games held between neighboring villages.Some time during the second or third month is a day called hansik. This is the 105th day after the winter solstice, falling about the fifth of April by the solar calendar. On this day, ancestor rites are performed early in the morning when the whole family visits the tombs of their ancestors to pay respects. This usually includes tidying up the tombs.
The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is called dano, which is another big holiday. According to ancient records, people on this day rested from work, dressed up in their best, and feasted just as they did on New Year's Day. Special events usually planned for the day include wrestling matches for men in which the champion receives a bull as a prize. Likewise, women participate in swinging competitions; the winner of this event goes home with a gold ring.

The 10th month is the time for gimjang. During this month kimchi or pickled vegetables must be prepared for the upcoming three months of winter. Every household was therefore busy preparing this important work. A popular greeting during these time of year was "Have you finished gimjang?" The 12th month, called seotdal, is a time when people traditionally got their affairs in proper order, including the settling of debts, to prepare for the new year. An honorable man is not supposed to carry his debts over to the next year. Ancient records tell us that in the old days, the court held exorcising ceremonies, called narye, to expel evil spirits. In rural areas, a musical performance of nong-ak or farmers' music is also used to expel evil spirits and usher in good fortune.