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<44th Coming-of-Age Day 'Traditional Coming-of-Age Ceremony with International Students'>
At 10 a.m. on the 16th, at the Gugye-seowon in the YU Gyeongsan Campus Folk Village, international students with gat (traditional hat for men) and binyeo (ornamental headpiece for women) attended the 'traditional coming-of-age ceremony' of Korea. YU (President Noh Seok-kyun) offered a traditional coming-of-age ceremony event for international students for the 44th 'Coming-of-Age Day'.
During 'gwanrye', which is the first of the four ceremonial occasions of coming-of-age, the honorary guest, YU President Noh Seok-kyun recited words of congratulations for the futures of the male students who became 20 years old. They wore the chipogeon, yugeon, and the gat, which is the third headpiece, and tied a knot to announce that they have become adults.
'The Coming-of-Age Day' is a legally designated commemoration date held on the third Monday of May. It is a day to naturally tell young adults who became 20 about the duties and responsibilities of becoming an adult, and to congratulate them from growing out of puberty and becoming matured both physically and mentally.
At this traditional coming-of-age ceremony, a total of eight students, including six international students from Afghanistan, Philippines and China wore traditional clothes called dopo and dangui and participated in the 'gwanrye' and 'gyerye' ceremonies.
Hadi Farid Ahmad (25) from Afghanistan who was admitted to the graduate school program at the YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul said, "I wanted to learn as much as possible about Korean culture while studying here. Experiencing this traditional coming-of-age ceremony was a very meaningful experience." He added, "I was able to learn about the charms of traditional Korean culture that teaches the pride and responsibilities of becoming an adult."
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 not 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 an adult.
YU President Noh Seok-kyun, who watched the entire traditional coming-of-age ceremony for an hour and a half, said, "I hope that by participating in the traditional gwanrye and gyerye events, you will be able to understand the meaning of becoming an adult, and gain a deeper understanding on our culture." He added, "Becoming an adult is being responsible for your actions. Please remember the meaning of wearing the gwan and receiving an alias and go forward with your dreams in this global era."
