Foreigners wash their hair to ward off evil spirits during Korea's Dano celebrations

June 10 is Dano, a traditional holiday in Korea that falls on May 5 on the lunar calendar. "Dano” in Korean means the “highest day” or “day of the gods.” Traditionally, the people of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) gathered together about four weeks prior to the day to celebrate all the hard work related to planting crops. They worshipped the mountain gods in order to receive a good harvest and to wish for peace and prosperity within the town and each family.

Another famous Dano ritual for women is to wash their hair in water boiled with a type of flowering plant called sweet flag, or changpo in Korean, as it is believed that this act wards off evil spirits. To celebrate this traditional holiday, the National Folk Museum of Korea in central Seoul has organized various traditional games and rituals for visitors to try.

Most programs will be held on Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. No reservation is required. For more information, visit the museum's website, www.nfm.go.kr.

The above photo shows foreigners demonstrating traditional hair washing in changpo water at the museum on June 5. [NEWS1]

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]