When is Chungmyung Day?
Chungmyung Day is a non-working day on 4th April in North Korea.
This is a traditional folk festival that commemorates 'Hansik', the 105th day after the Winter Solstice (Dongzi), which is usually on 21st December.
History of Chungmyung Day
Chungmyung Day falls on one of the 24 divisions of the year and represents the sky clearing up for spring.
Traditionally the day is spent tidying up graves and doing home repairs that could not be done during the winter months.
It takes place on the same date as the Ching Ming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) in China which also shares rituals about ancestor worship.
Despite the rich history of the traditions of this day, it has only been an official holiday since 2010, when Kim Jong Eun declared this day as a holiday so that the people could spend it conducting traditional rituals.
Along with New Year's Day, Lunar New Year’s Day, Dano (May 5th) and Chuseok, Hansik is one of the five 'folk holidays' offically commemorated in North Korea, but are not viewed as important as Kim Jong Il’s and Kim Il Sung’s birthdays, which both are normally celebrated with three days of holidays.
