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Fire festivals are common throughout most cultures in the world. The Celts have it, the Irish have one and so the people of Jeju, South Korea, of course, with varying significances, of course. One of the more famous of the festivals in Jeju and also amongst the festivals in South Korea, the Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival, Jeju is celebrated with what else, a fiery passion and fervor.
About The Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival, Jeju
The Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival, Jeju takes place in the month of January. It is based on the ancient farming practice of razing old grasses for the purpose of animal-grazing and also to kill the pests. This has been practiced throughout the ages as a means of raising the quality of the graze lands. Through this practice you can actually trace a bit of symbolism associated with fire in the Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival, Jeju, South Korea. The people in Jeju believe in the purification and metamorphic powers of fire and thus have the belief that pacifying the fire God would bring them prosperity and fertility. The Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival also involves many other intriguing and engaging rituals, especially for the foreigner for whom, the festival is more of an insight into the beliefs and traditions of an ancient people. The rituals include oreum climbing (“oreum” means a volcano), a grand fireworks display and setting fire to the Saebyeol Oreum. The Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival, Jeju is also an occasion for the Jeju folks to get together and make merry. There are a lot of folk games held during the festival and the one that draws the most crowds is probably the jwibulnori, which is spinning a flaming can on a wire.
The Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival, Jeju is one of the most well-known of the Jeju festivals & events and is an interesting study on the different forms of the same Fire Festival that are prevalent all throughout the world.
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