Cinco De Mayo!

In Korea, May 5th is Children's Day. It is a national holiday-schools, businesses, everything is closed. Kids receive presents and get to spend time with their parents. (Don't worry, Sunday is Parent's Day and Teacher's Day is in the next couple weeks-we still have work, but we get presents.) I think this holiday is a good idea, first because I like days off. Second, because many of my kids don't see their dads during the week because they don't get home til after midnight, so the nation recognizing this and giving them a day seems like a good idea. Sophia and I started to wonder about the holiday- was it the result of the cultural love and protection of children that is is very apparent here? Or was it the result of Korea's move up the economic ladder of the world and their work ethic? So, I looked. This is what I found. Take it or leave it.

In South Korea, May 5 is officially recognized as Children's Day (어린이날). Parents often give presents to their children, as well as spend time with them. The children are taken on excursions to zoos and museums.

The children's day was firstly gaining attention from innovative students and leaders on the basis of independent movement of March first in 1919. From Jinju, many people gathered to bring up the recordable and respectable status of children and encourage adults to teach awareness of the deprived soverignity. Since then, several groups of children and students studying in Tokyo agreed to designate May 1 as the day in 1922. Predominant figure, Bang Jeong Hwan greatly contributed the enhancement of participation from the intelligent, while the laborer's day also tapped together and moved the day toward May 5. Until 1939, Japanese authorities based in Seoul oppressed the movement to stop the congregation of Korean people for the festival. After the independence,the intetion for respecting children came to revive from 1946. The children's welfare law written on the constitution officially registerd May 5 as children's day in 1961.

What did we do on our day off? Read this. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/asia/southkorea/flag/

Now, look at my pictures.

Before

Planning.

During.

Halfway?

I forgot to have Sophia take a picture of the finished product. Good news-it looks really good and I'm really happy with it. Cool news-You can see it next time you see me. It'll still be there.

Happy Mother's Day!