Today, I'm going to talk about Boknal, one of Korea's traditional holidays. Boknal is celebrated three times a year in the summer, and it is a cultural event that contains the meaning of 'Jeong', a wish for Korean people to stay healthy during the hot summer!

Let me introduce you to the origin of Boknal.

On this day, there is a tradition that Koreans have had since ancient times of eating dog meat to beat the summer heat. Dog meat is said to have the effect of lowering body temperature and nourishing the body, helping with health management in the summer.

And on Boknal, there is a custom of eating nutritious foods such as samgyetang and bosintang. Since this is to stay healthy during the hot summer, these nutritious foods are often cooked with ingredients that are good for the body such as ginseng, deer antlers, and chestnuts.

In this way, Boknal is a traditional holiday that Koreans have observed for a long time to pray for health and happiness…

But, isn't it strange? Dog meat?

Until recently, there was much controversy over eating dog meat. The reason why many people are reluctant to consume dog meat is because of ethical issues. As dogs are increasingly considered companion animals, opinions that it is wrong to eat them have increased, and criticism that dogs are being slaughtered cruelly.

So more and more people are choosing other meats, like chicken or pork, instead of dog meat on Boknal.

As negative perceptions about dog meat consumption spread, it is an undeniable fact that the number of people looking for healthy alternatives to dog meat on Boknal is increasing.

So far, we have looked at the origins and traditional customs of Boknal. Boknal can be said to be a unique Korean holiday created to spend the hot summer healthily. I hope this tradition continues in the future.

Then, in the next episode, we will return to the topic of (changing Boknal culture).