Grab the mouse! A tradition evolves

At a buffet restaurant in Seoul's central Jung district, guests toasted the health of Oh Sol-min to mark her first birthday. On a Sunday evening, family and friends gathered at the hall, which was adorned with colorful balloons and ribbons, while youngsters romped about the room.

Suddenly they assembled at the table of honor where piles of colorful, traditional Korean candy, chestnuts, bananas, Chinese dates, rice cakes and a birthday cake were placed. Sol-min, dressed up in a bright traditional hanbok, was urged by her mother to choose between a bowl of rice, money, a pencil, a computer mouse and a strand of thread. She did not budge for several moments, but finally grasped the crisp 10,000 won ($8) note and the pencil. The guests applauded; some nudged each other and said, "I told you so."

That moment of choice, called doljabi in Korean, is the main event of a first year birthday party, or doljanchi. The decision may determine the future of the infant. According to tradition, if the baby goes for the rice it means he or she will be blessed with plenty to eat. The thread means a long, healthy life. The money means wealth. The pencil means the child will become a scholar or artist. The computer mouse is a recent addition. The manager of the buffet restaurant said it means the baby will become a prominent high-tech entrepreneur. If nothing else, the choice gives the family something to talk about.

Every birthday is a special day, but in Korea the first one has traditionally been particularly meaningful. Before vaccinations were introduced to Korea the infant mortality rate was extremely high. Because of the likelihood of losing a child, Koreans adopted a tradition of calling children by indecent nicknames like gaettongi (dog droppings). They believed it helped ease the pain if the child died. They also believed children with awful names could evade evil, as evil spirits prefer to torment those more beloved by their families. A child named Gaettongi would, in theory, get passed over by evil spirits bringing things like smallpox. A child reaching its first birthday had overcome the initial hurdles of life, which truly was something to celebrate.

Like all rituals in Korea the table set for the party had distinctive features. The family prepared various tteok (rice cakes) to wish for good luck and a steadfast personality. Hosts cooked steamed rice cake coated with bean flour, honey cakes, glutinous rice cakes and rice cakes steamed on a layer of pine needles for the dolsang, or first birthday table.

Many parents of today choose to hold a party at buffet restaurants, family restaurants and hotels instead of preparing the food on their own. Recently, they have turned to the Internet for information. Sites such as www.babytale.com, www.babybirthday. co.kr and www.haeorum.com specialize in doljanchi and have links to make reservations, select food, find a photographer and get hanbok. At the end of the party, Sol-min's aunt and grandmother gave her gold rings and wished her to grow up healthy and wise. In the past, the gold rings were used to fund the child's education, but now they are mostly just keepsakes.

by Koh Han-sun