Children's Day

Saturday wasn't only the Cinco de Mayo celebration in my hemisphere, but also "Children's Day" here in Korea. "Children's Day" is celebrated in over 20 countries all over the world, most on different dates. The Korean version was created in 1923, during the time of the Japanese colony, officially adopted by the government in 1973, and became a holiday in 1975. According to one of my co-workers (and later confirmed by my professor), "Children's Day" was originally a time for children to have fun and feel special when Korea was a very poor country. Since most people didn't have much and times were extremely depressing (especially under the colonial authority), this day was set aside to maintain the innocence and happiness of the children. Nowadays, in my co-worker's opinion, it is a little redundant because sometimes it seems like everyday is "Children's Day." Young children receive presents (toys, school supplies, etc.) from their relatives and teachers and generally have a good time. According to some of my students, they are considered too old to receive presents when they reach middle school. At the hagwon, we handed out presents (an alarm clock) to all of our students and had a day of games and snacks, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Yesterday, I went shopping and ran into pack after pack of children and their parents, including three of my students, all buying toys. While I wish we had a "Children's Day" in the States because I agree with the sentiment of celebrating the importance of children (just watch "Children of Men" to see what life would be like without them), I also don't think we need any more reasons to celebrate conspicuous consumerism in America.