Holiday & Anniversary Calendar

The Holiday and Anniversary Calendar is a comprehensive reference tool that displays all officially designated special days in South Korea on an interactive monthly calendar. It draws data from five separate APIs provided by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute through the Special Day Information service on data.go.kr, covering public holidays, national events, anniversaries and memorial days, the 24 solar terms, and miscellaneous traditional days. South Korea has a rich calendar of special days that blend modern legal designations with centuries-old astronomical and cultural traditions. Public holidays are legally designated days off from work and school, while national events commemorate significant moments in Korean history. The 24 solar terms are an ancient East Asian system of dividing the year based on the sun's position along the ecliptic, marking seasonal changes and traditionally guiding agricultural activities. Miscellaneous traditional days include culturally significant dates like Hansik, and the three hottest days of summer: Chobok, Jungbok, and Malbok. This tool is invaluable for planning vacations, understanding upcoming long weekends, learning about Korean culture and traditions, and ensuring you never miss an important date.

Step 1: The calendar loads automatically showing the current month with all special days marked. Events are color-coded by type for easy visual identification — refer to the legend at the bottom of the calendar to understand the color coding. Step 2: Navigate between months using the left and right arrow buttons at the top of the calendar. You can also return to the current month by clicking the 'Today' button. Step 3: Look for colored dots or markers on specific dates, each indicating a special day. Red markers typically indicate public holidays (days off), while other colors represent different event categories. Step 4: Click on any date to view detailed information about all events on that day. The detail view shows the event name, its category type, and whether it is a day off from work. Step 5: Use the color legend to quickly scan the month for specific types of events. For example, if you are interested only in public holidays for vacation planning, focus on the red-marked dates. Step 6: Plan ahead by navigating to future months. The calendar can display data for any month the API provides, allowing you to plan vacations, check for long weekends, and coordinate schedules months in advance. Tip: Korean long weekends often occur when a public holiday falls adjacent to a regular weekend. Check for these opportunities early, as travel bookings fill up quickly during holiday periods. Also note that substitute holidays can create unexpected long weekends — the calendar reflects these when officially designated.

The calendar categorizes special days into five distinct types, each from a separate API endpoint: 1. Public Holidays — Red designation, official days off: - New Year's Day (January 1) - Seollal/Lunar New Year (1st day of 1st lunar month, 3-day holiday) - Independence Movement Day (March 1) - Children's Day (May 5) - Buddha's Birthday (4th day of 4th lunar month) - Memorial Day (June 6) - Liberation Day (August 15) - Chuseok/Korean Thanksgiving (15th day of 8th lunar month, 3-day holiday) - National Foundation Day (October 3) - Hangeul Day (October 9) - Christmas (December 25) - Election days (when applicable) 2. National Events — 5 major commemorative dates: - March 1st Movement Day, Constitution Day (July 17), Liberation Day (August 15), National Foundation Day (October 3), Hangeul Day (October 9) - Note: Constitution Day is a national event but NOT a public holiday 3. Anniversaries/Memorial Days: - Arbor Day (April 5), Parents' Day (May 8), Teachers' Day (May 15), Armed Forces Day (October 1), etc. - These are officially designated commemorative days but are not days off 4. 24 Solar Terms: - Ancient astronomical divisions: Ipchun (beginning of spring), Gyeongchip, Chunbun (spring equinox), Ipha (beginning of summer), Haji (summer solstice), Ipchu (beginning of autumn), Chubun (autumn equinox), Ipdong (beginning of winter), Dongji (winter solstice), etc. - Dates shift by 1-2 days annually based on the sun's ecliptic longitude 5. Miscellaneous Traditional Days: - Hansik: 105th day after winter solstice, cold food day - Chobok/Jungbok/Malbok: Three hottest days of summer - Jeongwol Daeboreum: First full moon of the lunar new year

Substitute holidays are an important feature of the Korean holiday system. Since 2014, if Seollal or Chuseok holidays overlap with another public holiday, or if Children's Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, a substitute holiday is designated on the next available weekday. Starting in 2023, this substitute holiday provision was expanded to cover Buddha's Birthday, Christmas, Liberation Day, National Foundation Day, and Hangeul Day. This means more long weekends and fewer lost holidays. The calendar reflects officially designated substitute holidays when they have been announced. Understanding lunar calendar dates is key for Korean holidays. Seollal and Chuseok are based on the lunar calendar, so their Gregorian (solar) calendar dates change every year. Seollal typically falls between late January and mid-February, while Chuseok occurs between mid-September and early October. Buddha's Birthday also follows the lunar calendar. The calendar tool automatically converts lunar dates to their solar calendar equivalents. The 24 solar terms have practical relevance beyond tradition. While they originated as agricultural guides, many Koreans still reference them for seasonal awareness. For example, 'Daehan' (great cold, around January 20) is traditionally the coldest day, and 'Ipchun' (start of spring, around February 4) signals the coming end of winter. These terms appear naturally in Korean conversation and media, making them useful cultural knowledge. Constitution Day (July 17) is often misunderstood. It is one of the five national events but has NOT been a public holiday since 2008. Many people mistakenly expect a day off. The calendar correctly shows it as a national event without the day-off designation. For vacation planning, look for bridge days — regular workdays sandwiched between a holiday and a weekend. While not official holidays, many companies grant these as days off, and government offices sometimes offer flexible scheduling. Identifying these bridge days early allows you to maximize vacation time with minimal leave usage. Note that some holidays have been reclassified over time. For example, Armed Forces Day (October 1) was a public holiday until 1990, and Arbor Day (April 5) was a public holiday until 2006. The calendar reflects current designations.