Korean Birthday Celebrations & Customs

Happy birthday to you~🎵

Birthday is a special day that only happens once a year!

I love celebrating my birthday and wishing others a happy birthday too. I love that I get to be the center of attention on my birthday and that I get to express how much I love my friends and family on their birthday.

So how do Koreans like to celebrate their birthday? Let's take a look!

Gregorian Birthday Or Lunar Birthday?

There are two types of birthday in Korea; Gregorian (양력) and Lunar (음력).

Locals who are middle-aged or older usually celebrate their Lunar birthday while younger generations mostly celebrate their Gregorian birthday.

Gregorian birthday is easier to remember whereas celebrating a Lunar birthday requires a calculation!

Korean Terminologies Related To Birthday

Gwi Ppajin Nal
귀 빠진 날

출처: 혜리 인스타그램

In Korea, birthdays are also referred to as ‘gwi ppajinnal’ which translates to ‘the day your ears fell out’.

The phrase originated from the fact that the most painful part of giving birth is when the baby’s face is coming out, ears being the thickest parts of the face.

Different Words For Different People’s Birthdays?

출처: aile style

As you guys may already know, the Korean language takes two forms; casual and formal.

When we refer to a birthday of someone who is a generation or more older than us, we say it’s their saengshin (생신) instead of saengil (생일).

So next time we are trying to wish a Korean person a happy birthday, we would need to first determine whether to say saengshin or saengil, right?

Birthday Food In Korea

Seaweed Soup
미역국

The most common birthday food in Korea is seaweed soup, or miyeok guk.

I’m also a fan of miyeok guk so my mom always cooks it for me on my birthday!

The photo above is of my birthday meal consisting of miyeok guk, rice and other banchans from last year.

All you need to go with the comfort food is some rice and kimchi!

출처: 브이앱
출처: 브이앱

The recipe for miyeok guk is actually quite simple.

First, you soak the seaweed in water until it gets tender. Then, you fry it with beef and sesame oil. Add some water to it and bring it to a boil. Season with salt and soy sauce and you have your miyeok guk!

Depending on your preference, you can replace beef with sea clams. You can also add perilla seeds for more flavors.

출처: cj

Because it’s so widely consumed in Korea, you’ll also find easy instant versions. Feeling lazy to cook miyeok guk? No problem!

The reason Koreans eat miyeok guk on their birthday is to remember their mother’s love.

Youn Yuh-jung on TV show Youn Stay explains it further by saying that back in the days, women who had just delivered a baby required a lot of iron which seaweed is very rich of!

So the reason they eat miyeok guk is to remember and appreciate the pain their mother went through to bring them into the world.

Japchae
잡채

Japchae is another dish widely enjoyed on birthdays.

It doesn’t have a special reason like miyeok guk does, but because a good amount of preparation goes into it, Koreans seem to consider it quite the delicacy that’s suitable for their special day.

출처: tvN

Japchae is made by pan frying an assortment of vegetables along with meat and glass noodles, then seasoned with soy sauce.

The mix of flavors is enjoyable to any palate, making it a popular dish in the nation.

Plus, the chewiness of the glass noodles makes the texture of the food delightful too.

Cake
케이크

Many countries celebrate birthdays with a cake and Korea is no exception.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular types of cake enjoyed on birthdays!

Rice Cake (떡 케이크)

Unlike conventional cake that’s made with flour, you can also find cakes made of rice in Korea.

Older generations who may not be familiar with Western pastries prefer rice cake.

Previously, the old school designs of rice cake deterred the younger generations away.

However, rice cake designs are becoming more trendy and colorful, attracting locals of all generations!

It’s the perfect birthday cake for those who don’t enjoy desserts that are super sweet.

Custom Cake (커스텀 케이크)

Custom cakes made for NCT Jungwoo on his birthday @whity.confectionery

Custom cakes have been trending for a few years now!

They have been available for a while, but they were perceived as expensive while not many design options were available.

Nowadays, custom cakes are reasonably priced and available in many different looks and colors.

Last year when I did a joint birthday party with a friend, other friends made a custom cake with our initials on top.

Isn’t it cute?

Among many custom cakes, small dosirak cakes (dosirak meaning bento box) are the most popular.

Often times, leftover cakes end up rotting away in the fridge or in the garbage bin, so dosirak-sized custom cakes are a more sensible option!

The above photos are of custom cakes I’ve gotten for my loved ones’ birthdays!

Custom cakes are perfect for making a birthday more memorable and personalized.

Choco Pie Cake (초코파이 케이크)

A tower of Choco Pie makes a cake? Let’s talk about this unique cake.

Many of us probably already know Choco Pie and even had them before!

출처: 유튜브 푸른[pureun]

Choco Pie cakes are often prepared for birthdays of high school and middle school students by their friends.

When we’re students, we don’t have a lot of money to buy an actual cake, so Choco Pie cakes are made to show our love for the birthday person on a budget.

출처: 이홍기 인스타그램

It’s also fun to take a Choco Pie each after singing happy birthday and blowing out the candles.

This cake takes me back to my middle school days!

Poop Cake (똥 케이크)

출처: 유튜브 보니티비보니

Okay, okay. So this is not made of actual poop.

This cake is also made with Choco Pie like the one we saw above.

You put Choco Pie into a plastic bag and break it down until it becomes a giant brown dough. Then, you shape it into a poop.

출처: 유튜브 허팝 Heopop

This cake is often made as a prank to the birthday person.

I remember making one for my brother on his birthday and him crying thinking it was made with actual poop.

It’s a good way to make someone’s birthday even more fun!

Birthday Cultures & Traditions

Birthday Beating
생일빵

Just as many other countries, Korea also enjoys birthday beatings called 'saengil bbang'.

You load up with lots of love for the birthday person and start beating them!

You hit them for as many times as their age or bury their face in the cake.

It's all with love, but if the person doesn't like it, we should not do the birthday beating!

Birthday Drink
생일주

Saengilju means the drink (ju) you have on your birthday (saengil). Younger generations enjoy giving saengilju to their friends on their birthday!

In a huge glass (or pot) each guest at the birthday party will put liquor and food of their choosing.

The end result? A disgusting mix of liquors and food in a huge portion!

I've had saengilju a couple of times on my birthday too. The photo above shows the saengilju I received from my friend 3 years ago!

You make a tower of soju glasses using chopsticks and make a soju waterfall from the top.

I said a word of appreciation for my parents, friends and loved ones for each shot I took.

Just like birthday beating, if the birthday person doesn't like saengilju, it's not included in the birthday celebration!

Posting On Social Media

When Facebook was a thing among young generations a couple of years back, people would often write a birthday message on the feed with a couple of pictures.

The photos above are posts written by my friends on my birthday. There's even a photo of me dancing with a soju bottle. 🤦‍♀️

Sometimes friends will post funny and ugly photos to make fun, so we've got to be mentally ready on our birthday.

These days, Instagram is more widely used than Facebook. Happy birthday messages will look similar to how idols do it like the photos above.

Kakaotalk Gifts

You can also use the messenger Kakaotalk to wish someone a happy birtrhday by using their send a gift feature!

If you go into the gift page of the messenger, you'll find loads of options.

These options are roughly divided into two: virtual coupons they can claim at cafes, restaurants and convenience stores and a physical gift that will get delivered to the person's doorstep.

You'll also find recommendations by age, gender and price. The wishlist feature lets you browse the items your friend put in their wishlist!

Because Kakaotalk also notifies of birthdays, you never miss a friend's birthday!

After receiving gifts on Kakaotalk, they start getting delivered one by one, which is super exciting.

What did you guys think of how Koreans celebrate their birthday?

It was really fun writing the blog and reminiscing back to the many happy birthday celebrations I've had in the past.

It's going to be my birthday in 3 months and I can't wait!