Happy Folklore Thursday!
In folk tradition, choosing an auspicious day to move into a new house was paramount. Such days are called sohn-obneun-nal (손없는날), ‘Day of No Guests.’ Folklore tells us ghosts are active, either from the north, east, south, or west, on certain days of the month according to the lunar calendar. Ghosts are active from the east on the first and second days of a month and on days ending with 1 or 2 (i.e. the 11th, the 12th, etc). Ghosts from the south are active on the third and fourth days and on days ending with 3 or 4. Ghosts from the west are active on the fifth and sixth days and on days ending in 5 or 6. And ghosts from the north are active on the seventh and eighth days and on days ending in 7 or 8.
Ghosts are not active on days ending in 9 or 0 (i.e. the 9th or the 30th). These are the Days of No Guests and are considered auspicious for moving, and other home-related things, because the inactive ghosts won’t follow you into your new home.
Other activities, such as home-repair and announcing marriage, were thought best done on sohn-obneun-nal.
The 9th day of the 2nd lunar month is called mubangsoo-nal. This was considered an especially auspicious day and referred to as an exceptionally good sohn-obneun-nal.
Moving companies in Korea today are especially busy on sohn-obneun-nal and even charge more for their services.
Today, it is the 21st day of the third month on the lunar calendar. The ghosts from the east are active. Did you move today? Let’s hope not. 👻
Photo credit: Ha Photography
