Ipchun: The Lasting Tradition of Seasonal Marker

As the season of snow and hot chocolate unfolds, the new season of honey bees and cherry blossoms kicks off, adding life to a white-covered world. Ipchun, the traditional day in Korea, marks this beginning. Indicating the beginning of spring, Ipchun is the first of the 24 solar terms in the traditional East Asian lunisolar calendar. It occurs annually around the beginning of February and spots the transition from winter to spring. This year, in 2025, Ipchun takes place on the third of February. However, according to the lunar calendar — which, unlike the widely accepted solar calendar, ends during the middle of February — additional Ipchun takes place on February 4th, 2026, making 2025 a unique year with a "Double Ipchun." 

For centuries, Ipchun and the other 23 solar terms have guided farmers, offering reliable data on when is the best time to engage in agricultural activity. The precision and importance of this system were so significant that UNESCO included these solar terms as part of the Cultural Heritage in 2016. Among all the solar terms, Ipchun has been especially regarded as the most important as it signaled the transition from a cold winter into the warm breeze of spring.

Copy and paste "2025 입춘 축제" on either Naver or Google to learn more about these festivals! 

Within the famous traditions associated with Ipchun, the creation and display of Ipchuncheop (입춘첩) are the most well-known. Ipchuncheop, as seen from the image above, is a calligraphic phrase believed to bring fortune and happiness. By the means of fortune, it usually revolved around a wish for a successful harvest season. Families would write a phrase and hang it on gates or doors to wash out the misfortunes of the previous years and invite visitors with a warm greeting. These simple yet meaningful acts were ways for the people to foster a sense of bond within the community. 

Moreover, in some places like Jeju Island, rituals such as Ipchun Gut (입춘굿) and parades are held. These ceremonies are meant to continue the old traditions and to pray for a lucky harvest this coming spring. While such customs have lost much of their traditional flavor, a constant effort is being made to resurrect them and reach out to contemporary societies. FYI most of these events only occur until the first week of February, so be sure not to miss out on the opportunity to explore.

Although Ipchun initially had such historical meanings, the rapid development of technologies has reduced the dependence on solar terms. Farmers are better off referring to much more advanced and accurate data available on the Internet, and people can access real-time information to make informed decisions. Yet, the cultural significance of Ipchun remains to this day: many households continue the practice of Ipchuncheop, and events celebrating Ipchun are held each year. With that being said, it’s important for younger generations to recognize that these traditions, though seemingly aged, represent timeless wisdom and are, therefore, precious.

Work Cited

“교육부 : 네이버 블로그.” Naver.com, 2025, blog.naver.com/moeblog/221795634041. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.

“입춘(立春).” Aks.ac.kr, 2018, encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0047822. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.

“한국민속대백과사전.” Nfm.go.kr, 2025, folkency.nfm.go.kr/topic/detail/4758. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.

입춘대길, 건양다경, 춘첩자 대문, 북촌한옥마을, 종로구, 서울. UtoImage, https://www.utoimage.com/?m=goods.photo_view&idx=21954098. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025. 

Seong, Dongshin. 2017. 남산골한옥마을, 새해 첫 절기 맞아 <반가운 시작, 입춘> 행사, https://www.slnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=2299. Accessed 2025.