명절과 의례 음식으로서의 떡 편집하기 (부분)

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Rice cakes are indispensable foods in Korean holidays and life-cycle rituals, with each type carrying special meaning and symbolism. On Lunar New Year’s Day (<i>Seollal</i>), Koreans traditionally eat rice cake soup (<i>tteokguk</i>). Made from sliced cylindrical rice cakes in clear broth, <i>tteokguk</i> symbolizes the beginning of the new year, and eating a bowl is said to add one year to one’s age. The white color of the rice cakes represents purity and fresh beginnings, while their round shape symbolizes the sun and harmony. During the Harvest Moon Festival (<i>Chuseok</i>), families prepare half-moon rice cakes (<i>songpyeon</i>). Made from newly harvested grains, <i>songpyeon</i> expresses gratitude for abundant harvests, and the communal activity of shaping these rice cakes together embodies family harmony and cooperation. Folk belief also holds that those who shape beautiful <i>songpyeon</i> will have beautiful children.

For a baby’s one-hundred-day celebration (<i>baegil</i>) and first birthday (<i>dol</i>), white rice cake (<i>baekseolgi</i>) and red bean sorghum rice cake are prepared. <i>Baekseolgi</i>, with its pure white color, symbolizes the child’s innocence and represents wishes for health, while the red color of red bean sorghum rice cake is believed to ward off evil spirits, offering protection for the child. These rice cakes are shared with neighbors and relatives, based on the belief that the more people who eat the rice cakes, the more blessings and longevity the child will receive. At wedding ceremonies, layered steamed rice cakes with jujubes and chestnuts or <i>injeolmi</i> are prepared to serve guests, and rice cakes also serve as important ritual offerings during ancestral veneration rituals (<i>jesa</i>) and blessing rituals (<i>gosa</i>).

Thus, rice cakes transcend mere food, embodying Korean life, faith, and community culture as cultural heritage. The acts of making and sharing rice cakes strengthen bonds among family and neighbors while expressing prayers for blessings and gratitude. The symbolic meanings of rice cakes in holidays and rituals continue to this day, serving as important vehicles for transmitting Korean identity and traditional values across generations.