The Celebration of Children’s First Birthday (Asyandi/асянди) in the Korean Community of the Primorye Region in the Second Half of the Twentieth Century: History and Significance

Abstract

Asyandi (асянди) in Hamgyŏng dialect (in Seoul dialect, tol 돌) is one of the most important holidays in the Korean diaspora around the world. It is the celebration of the first birthday of a child. In addition to an evening meal organized in honor of the birthday child, a form of divination is also carried out in the morning. This event, according to Korean tradition, determines the life of the child. The form of divination in the Primorye region is very different from the equivalent event in areas of the Korean Peninsula in modern times. The aim of this research note is to study asyandi as an event and consider its significance and processes in the local Korean diaspora in the southern part of the Russian Far East where this celebration is observed.