Which Doljabi Items Should You Pick?
To provide a bit of background information:
Doljanchi was a Korean celebration that was commonly held to celebrate a baby’s first birthday because many babies unfortunately did not survive due to harsh weather, lack of resources, and/or war.
Additionally, Korean shamanism tied in with many aspects of Korean culture and therefore Koreans heavily believed in superstition. Doljanchi was held with superstition in mind. Babies who made it past 1 year in age were considered a blessing and a Doljanchi was thrown not just to celebrate but to further the blessing of the child by preparing and consuming specific types of food, making prayers, and hosting Doljabi.
Doljabi was hosted in order for the parents to predict the future of the baby however some of the Doljabi items weren’t for predicting the baby’s future as much as blessing the baby with good fortune, long life, or vigorous energy.
Traditional Doljabi Set
Traditional Doljabi Sets have consisted of these specific items: a bow, medallion, set of coins, fortune pouch, brush, yarn, 5 color paper, medicine pot, rice ball, and notebook.
A few of these items did predict careers such as a bow, medicine pot, and medallion but they also represented blessings.
For example, a bow meant that the baby would likely turn into a great warrior and blessed them with a fierce spirit.
The other items such as a yarn, set of coins, rice ball, and fortune pouch didn’t predict a future career, just blessings.
Although many respectable careers were limited in the past which is likely a reason why some traditional Doljabi items are not associated with a career, it is important to keep in mind that Koreans in the past valued blessings to a great extent because of their strong ties with superstition.
In modern days, the same blessings help! The blessings considered important in the past are still valuable today. A yarn for example represents a long life and a long life is still valued!
For those who hold dear to supernatural causes or want to preserve Doljabi as traditionally as possible, one should look into a traditional Doljabi Set.
Modern Doljabi Set
A modern Doljabi Set consists of a variety of items; actually, anything!
Modern Doljabi Items are always associated with a career and rarely any with a blessing.
Common modern Doljabi items you’ll find are airplanes, cellphones, microphones, golf clubs, and baseballs to represent respectable and desirable careers like a pilot, computer engineer, successful singer, professional golfer, and a baseball player in the MLB.
Modern Doljabi sets often sit perfect with a Dol Party that has a modernized theme.
