This Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, is the day of Hallo (한로, 寒露), literally "Cold Dew," the 17th of 24 solar terms throughout the year and a foreboder of the end of autumn. Hallo is marked by a drop in temperature, when the morning's dew is on the verge of turning into frost. On the Gregorian calendar, Hallo usually falls on Oct. 8 or 9. On the traditional lunar calendar, Hallo falls in the ninth lunar month.

At this time of year, farmers thresh their grain and are busy trying to finish all the harvest-related tasks before the temperature plummets further. The colors of the trees become darker, and swallows and other summer birds vanish from sight, replaced by winter birds, such as wild geese.




As Hallo occurs near or during Jungyangjeol (중양절, 重陽節), the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, the customs and traditions observed on both days are fairly similar.

Classical poems frequently mention two common practices on Hallo and during the end of autumn. The first involves adorning your hair with pink euodia blossoms (오수유). Also, however, poets talk about going hiking or walking to the top of a nearby hill. There, they would stare resolutely into the distance in the direction of their hometown and meditate on the importance of having a home and a hearth. Hiking while wearing euodia blossoms in one’s hair was believed to help fend off evil spirits because of the crimson color of euodia fruits and flowers. People in the past believed that anything red could keep away evil influences.

Finally, one of the best-known dishes associated with this time of year is loach soup, or chueotang (추어탕), which is generally served between Hallo and Sanggang (상강, 霜降), the "Fall of the Frost," the next solar term, which falls on Oct. 23 this year.

So stay warm this fall as you go hiking and enjoy your chueotang soup on the way home.

by Gregory C. Eaves
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture
gceaves@korea.kr