Orini Nal

The Children's Day in Korea

"In old days there were angels who came and took men by the hand and led them away from the city of destruction. We see no white-winged angels now. But yet men are led away from threatening destruction: a hand is put into theirs, which leads them forth gently towards a calm and bright land, so that they look no more backward; and the hand may be a little child's. "

George Eliot; Silas Marner, Chapter XIV

Today was Orini Nal, a national holiday in Korea. Koreans celebrate the Orini Nal (the Children’s Day) on the 5^th of May every year. In a country with perhaps the least number of holidays and the longest working hours in the world, it came as a pleasant surprise to me. For once, the Korean parents are free to spend time with their children taking them to amusement parks, movies, children's parks, zoos, and other places. The day highlights the dignity of children and their need for education, care, and respect. It is also a day to honor adults who have contributed to improving the lives of children.

Children’s day in Korea traces its origins to the famous children’s writer Pang Jeong-Hwan. He had written “An Open Letter to Adults” on the 1^st of May, 1923. It went something like this;

“Children are the future of our nation. Let's show respect for children. Children who grow up with ridicule and contempt from others will become people who disrespect others, while children who grow up with respect from others will become people who respect others in turn.”

He argued that children and particularly babies had a purity and goodness to them representative of their link to the nature of heaven. “Because of this, not only should children be treated as equal to adults but they had qualities from which adults could learn: children can teach adults.”

Children of all ages are honored on Children's Day and the entire community is involved in the celebrations. Many cities in Korea have parades, pageantries and public activities. Museums, zoos, amusement parks, and movie theaters offer free admission to children. Traditional games are played and gifts are given to children from their parents and from the stores those they frequent.

The Andong National University campus with its picturesque gardens and lawns is a favorite picnic spot for the families around Andong.

In the morning itself families had begun to arrive

We went out to have lunch with the day being a holiday for the university restaurant. And the children's park near the campus was already crowded to capacity.

It was built on an old agricultural field. But they had retained the paddy fields and vegetable gardens to convey the importance of agriculture to children. There was even an apple tree yard.

the Dinos welcomed me into the park in their customary style

for once Korean fathers found time to be innovative for their little ones

the crowd was growing

when the flowers were laid out for the nation's flowers

the excitement was very much in the air

the lucky ones had a royal ride

the pool had almost over flowed

Gramdmas were there too

they had a walk through a farm

some came with antennae to communicate with their types

and some had a difficult climb

the traditional Korean candyman was quite popular

so were the Andong farmer and his wife

some had a drive on the agri machines

and also had a look at the past

what's this? let me read J

the importance of recycling of waste

haai!!

ok! let's go

let me show you how it works

see even I can do it J

the domestic animals and birds, a cock had scared some of them with it's cry!

but this is not it's effect

we had met a smart photographer who took some great snaps for us!!

My tour guides, Ms. Jo and Ms. Shin,

2nd year students of Tourism Studies at ANU did a wonderful job for sure

As I was searching information for this post I had come across an article on the TIME describing the Korean Children’s day of 1951. It went thus;

“.......Last week battered Seoul celebrated Children's Day with a parade by the police, who marched 600 strong behind a brass band and a huge placard:

‘Children Are the Nation’s Flower.’

“The nation’s flowers emerged from caves and broken buildings. Beside the budding, shrapnel-scarred elms along the streets, they watched. Now & then a youngster clapped or smiled, but mostly they stood with wooden faces, like tired old people who have found life very hard and who take little joy in parades.”

The article mentioned that the band avoided the South Gate and the bombed Seoul Station where “the abandoned, the homeless, and the orphans prowled restlessly, begging, stealing, conniving to stay alive.” It ended by noting that the police handed out small packets of candy and food to the children, and those with parents then went on long happy walks, while those who were orphaned by the war and “had no parents to take them home melted back into their caves and cellars.”

Excuse me for telling the tragic side of the story. I thought the story will remain incomplete without telling the ‘other side’, especially at a time when useless wars fought on behalf of self serving adults destroy the innocent childhoods across the world. Hope they will learn a lesson or two from the little ones as Mr. Pang Jeong-Hwan had dreamt of.