There are some interesting beliefs and superstitions related to moving to a new house in Korea. If you are planning to move to a new house, it can be a fun post to read. 🤗
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1. Deciding Moving Date
Moving to a new home is called 이사[ee-sa] in Korean. And it is a very important event! People believe there are good and bad days to move to a new house.
The good days are called "손 없는 날" (The day without Son.) 손(Son) is an evil ghost. It's not the same word as English. Lol😂!
This ghost travels around the east, west, north, and south, depending on the date of the lunar calendar. It's believed to cause harm to people. So people believe if you move on a day without 손, you will be able to live well in your new home without being disturbed by ghosts.
If you are curious, here are more details. 손 is located to the east when the dates end with 1, 2. It goes to the west when the dates end with 3 and 4. It stays in the south on the dates ending with 5 and 6. On the dates end with 7 and 8, it's in the north. So, the dates ending with either 9 or 0 are the good days to move to the new house!
These days are popular days for moving to a new home. So, some moving companies charge you more when you move these days.
2. Cook Rice
If you can't move to a new house on the good days(손 없는 날), don't worry! Here is what you can do. Before you move, go to your future house on the day of no evil spirit. Bring a rice cooker with you and cook the rice.
Since ancient times, rice has symbolized a good harvest, wealth, and the health of the family. Also, the rice cooker represents a place where people live. If you are moving to an empty house, the rice cooker shows ghosts the house is occupied. It will bring good energy and drive away bad energy.
Another superstition concerning rice(쌀) involves bringing it into the bedroom of the new house on the day of moving. It is told to put more than half of the rice in the rice cooker. Cook the rice when moving is finished. This practice is believed to ward off ghosts and attract prosperity.
3. Salt and Red Beans
Traditionally, people believed ghosts hate salt and red beans. So, on the first day of moving, people use those.
A long time ago, people sprinkled salt in front of the gate. These days, people sprinkle salt on the entrance of the house and step on it as they pass.
People also sprinkle some red beans in the four corners of the house to prevent evil spirits from staying in the house.
Salt is called 소금 [so-geum] and red beans are 팥 [pat] in Korean. Korean people believe ghosts hate the red color, so the red beans can ward off evil spirits. On winter solstice, people make 팥죽(red bean porridge) and eat it.
Salt is believed to repel evil in many cultures such as Korea. This belief stemmed from the idea that spirits or entities dislike the purity associated with salt.
4. On the Moving Day
On the moving day, start early in the morning! Moving in the morning when the sun is full means that the house will be well-lit by the sun and good things will come.
Do not move after the evening! This is because it is believed that bad energy can follow you in the dark.
There is a belief that depending on the direction you sleep, you will be blessed or not. People say that on the day of moving, you should sleep as put your head towards the kitchen. This will be able to secure abundance and health in your home.
Wrap-up: Korean Superstitions
In this post, I showed you some interesting Korean superstitions about moving to a new house. Just like other superstitions, whether to accept these superstitions for fun or to follow them based on your personal beliefs!
If you are interested in other Korean superstitions or cultural facts, please check out my culture section! Thank you for reading my post! ☺️
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