1. Lular birthday and solar birthday? > The mystery of the Korean Age System

1. Lunar birthday and solar birthday?

As you may know, there are two kinds of calendars. One is the lunar calendar, based on the the moon, and the other one is the solar calendar, also called Gregorian calendar and based on the sun.

Both of them are used in Korea, but that doesn't mean that Koreans have 2 birthday parties every year! It depends on which we want to regard as our birthday.

My birthday is June 27th on the solar calendar, which I normally think is my 'real' birthday, but I also know my lunar birthday, June 2nd. My mother uses her lunar birthday, June 27th, which is the same date as my solar birthday, but she doesn't know her solar birthday before checking the calendar. It's changed every year! If you have any idea about this system, you will easily understand what I mean.

For that reason, most Korean web sites ask whether your birthday is lunar or solar when you sign up a site.

# To see other posts that related to this topic:
  0. Introduction
  1. Lular birthday and solar birthday?
  2. All Koreans get 1 year old on January 1st.
  3. Why do Koreans always ask people's age?
  4. International age vs Korean age