What’s up everyone!? There’s some cuteness in this one 😬:

Have you ever experienced a Korean first birthday party, known as the Doljanchi (돌잔치)? If you haven’t, this just may be one of the biggest birthday celebrations one will ever experience for a one year old baby. If you have been to one, had one for your kids, or you were the baby that your parents threw the 돌잔치 for, then you know just how important and big this party is!

The Korean Doljanchi (돌잔치) is a special Korean first birthday tradition where families celebrate the first birthday of their baby boy or girl. It is typically a big party with many guests, food, gifts, and games. The Dol (돌) means first birthday or anniversary and 잔치 refers to a festive gathering or party. There’s a reason for the huge scale of this celebration that is rooted in Korean history. Historically speaking, many babies did not live to see their first birthday due to different factor throughout history, including poverty, famine, war, and disease. As Korean society has advanced and propelled forward to be a prosperous society, we never want to forget how fortunate we are to have a healthy and happy baby who reaches their first birthday!.

In this video, I go over some elements of a traditional doljanchi, which include the main table spread and the doljabi (돌잡이). I then take you guys to a recent 돌잔치 for my friend’s son Jack Kim and he was so adorable.