Gwanrye and gyerye event with international students for the '45th Coming-of-Age Ceremony'
Experiencing traditional coming-of-age ceremonies and the charms of traditional Korean culture
[May 15, 2017]
<Gwanrye and gyerye with international students on the 45th coming-of-age ceremony>
At Gugye-seowon inside of the YU Gyeongsan Campus Folk Village at 2 p.m. on the 15th international students wearing gat (traditional hat for men) and binyeo (ornamental hair pieces for women) became the focus of attention. YU (President Sur Gil-soo) held the 'traditional coming-of-age ceremony' event for international students for the 45th coming-of-age day.
At this traditional coming-of-age ceremony, a total of eight students including six international students from Mexico, Brazil, Poland, and Ghana wore traditional clothes called dopo and dangui to participate in the 'gwanrye' and 'gyerye'.
Ixchel Nayeli Gonzalez-Garcia (23 from Mexico studying at YU as an exchange student said, "We also have a similar traditional coming-of-age ceremony in Mexico. It was really meaningful and fun to be able take part in this traditional ceremony in Korea." He added, "Though I have already come of age, I was able to once again think about my responsibilities as an adult through Korea's traditional coming-of-age ceremony."
Gwanrye is a ceremony of placing three gwan, or head pieces, to men who became 20 years old and emphasizes their responsibilities to their family, relatives, and country. It is completed with tying the hair up in a knot and wearing three hats, and the bunri-ceremony of changing clothes, and is completed with a drink of alcohol and announcing to the heavens that one has become an adult. It also includes the myeonjarye ritual of giving an 'alias' to be used instead of one's name as a symbol of protecting one's body and name that was given to them by their ancestors. Gyerye is a ceremony of untying a girl's hair and placing a binyeo, which is an ornamental hair piece, in the hair to announce that a girl has become a woman.
At the coming-of-age ceremony, YU President Sur Gil-soo was invited as the big elder for the first ceremony of 'gwanhonsangje' and recited a speech to congratulate male students who became 20 years old, and placed the three hats of chipogeon, yugeon and finally the gat, and tied the strings to officially announce their adulthood.
President Sur Gil-soo, who watched the traditional coming-of-age ceremony from start to finish for about two hours, said, "I hope that you will think about the meaning of becoming an adult by participating in the traditional gwanrye and gyerye events," while adding, "I hope that especially for international students, it will be a great memory and an opportunity to gain deeper insight into Korean culture."
'Coming-of-Age Day' falls on the third Monday of May and is a day to naturally remind young adults who became 20 years old of their responsibilities and duties, while congratulating their physical and mental maturation as a young adult.
