Hwang Gap
a Celebration of Kim's 60th Birthday
February 19 & 20, 2011

We celebrated Kim's 60th Birthday in two places: at our church in San Lorenzo and in Vancouver, WA, at Frank's church.

The hwan-gap, or 60th birthday, has also been considered an especially important birthday celebration, for this is the day when one has completed the zodiacal cycle. Even more important is the fact that, in the past, before the advent of modern medicine, few people lived to be 60 years old. hwan-gap was therefore a time of great celebration when children honor their parents with a large feast and much merrymaking.

With the parents seated at the main banquet table, sons and daughters, in order of age, bow and offer wine to their parents. After the direct descendants have performed this ritual, the father's younger brothers and their sons and then younger friends pay their respects in the same manner. While these rituals are being carried out, traditional music is usually played and professional entertainers sing songs, urging people to drink.

Family members and relatives indulge in various activities to make the parents feel young, often dressing like small children and dancing and singing songs. In the old days, guests would compete in composing poetry or songs in celebration of the occasion.