South Korea with Iris

 Let me take you to the last Wednesday walk this month! It is freezing cold here. I don't remember such a cold winter here in Korea. And if the forecast says it is above 0C outside, don't trust it. In Korea, it always feels much colder! So, I want to take you to the Lantern festival and New Year market! In many countries, you call it a Christmas market and it goes on in December, but here in Korea we have it at the end of January. Why? Because January 22nd was a Lunar New Year here. And it is more important to Koreans than Christmas. However, it doesn't matter how do you call it. The important thing is the magic that you can feel here! I went there after lunch before the sunset, and it wasn't as marvellous as it was at night. You can see it for yourself. Just compare the next 2 photos! So, I decided to go to the museum which is located on the opposite side of the road and to come to the festival later... You know, when I came here back later at night, I thought I came t

  This year is the 2566th Birthday of Buddha . And after 3 years, I guess, South Korea holds a very big, cheerful, and stunning celebration. Every year there was a lantern festival that starts before the Buddha's birthday in South Korea. And the whole country is decorated with thousands or maybe millions of lanterns.  Some of you may say  'I am not a Buddhist, so it's not for me' . I am not a Buddhist too. But I think it doesn't matter which religion you belong to. The thing that matters is what is inside you, your soul, your feelings. I like the Buddha's Birthday because of the peaceful atmosphere that it brings, because of its vibes, and because of all the beauty, it shows.  Due to COVID-19, we didn't have big performances for Buddha's birthday, but this year we celebrate Buddha's birthday almost for a month! And today I will show the smallest piece of it. A week ago there was a lantern parade and later performance in Seoul . But I think I should d

Fall has gone and left us just sweet memories of different exciting festivals. Last time I told you about the Festival of Kimchi , today I will tell you about another nice festival. Every year, but actually twice a year, there is a Lantern Festival in Korea. Usually one is in May, and another one is in November. Well, Spring and autumn are the best seasons to visit Korea. Both of the festivals are related to Buddhism. In May Korea celebrates a Buddha’s birthday. I don’t know what is a Buddhist holiday in November, but I will try to find it next time. I am going to this festival every time and still can’t get enough of it. Why? Because it is really fantastic! The main point of the festival is plenty of beautiful, creative, incredible lantern figures. And during the night all these figures are shining. Furthermore, these lanterns are not just random figures, a line of some of them shows some stories, or maybe even Korean culture or history. Like in the picture above, a group of people in