Why Are These Flower Wreaths Outside Korean Restaurants? 👀 | Learn Korean Culture with ToonToon Korean
이번 포스트는 퀴즈로 시작해 볼게요.
Let’s start this newsletter with a little quiz.
오른쪽 중간에 동그라미로 표시한 것이 뭘까요?
What do you think are the things circled on the right?
자세히 보여드릴게요.
Let me show you more closely.
꽃?!! 네, 꽃이 맞습니다. 꽃을 세로로 길게 장식한 이것을 ‘화환’이라고 부르는데요.
Flowers?!! Yes, that’s right. These long vertical flower decorations are called “hwahwan.”
이게 왜 고깃집 앞에 있을까요?
Why do you think they're in front of a Korean BBQ restaurant?
답을 아시는 분에게 한국 문화 지식 점수 100점을 드리겠습니다. 👍
If you know the answer, I’ll give you 100 points for your Korean culture knowledge.
화환을 더 자세히 볼게요. 분홍색 띠에 쓰인 글을 읽어 보세요. 거기에 정답이 있습니다!
Let’s take a closer look at a hwahwan. Try reading the text written on the pink strips. The answer is there!
'우리 동생 가게, 무조건 대박!'
"My younger sibling’s restaurant will become a huge success no matter what!"
'대박 나세요'
"Wishing you huge success"
A piece of Korean culture:
한국에서는 가족이나 친구가 음식점, 가게, 회사, 병원 등을 열면 화환을 보내요. 그리고 긴 세로띠에 “대박 나세요” 같은 메시지를 써서 축하해 줘요.
In Korea, people send a hwahwan when their family or friends open a restaurant, store, company, hospital, or other business. They also write messages like “Wishing you huge success” on vertical strips to celebrate.
(This tradition is part of Korean flower wreath culture, which many Korean learners notice while exploring Korea.)
그리고 장례식장에는 흰색 꽃, 노란색 꽃으로 만든 화환을 보내서 슬픈 마음을 전해요.
And at funerals, people send a hwahwan made with white and yellow flowers to express their sadness and condolences.
동네에 새로 문을 연 고깃집 덕분에 님에게 한국 문화를 알려 드리게 됐네요. 재미가 있었길 바랍니다.
Thanks to the new Korean BBQ restaurant that opened in my neighborhood, I got to share a bit of Korean culture with you today. I hope you enjoyed it.
Written by Saehee Um
Saehee Um is the creator of ToonToon Korean and the author of illustrated novels for Korean learners. Her books combine binge-worthy storytelling, real-life dialogue, and cultural insights to make learning Korean engaging and fun.
She writes Korean learning novels presented in a K-drama-style script, helping learners improve their Korean through dramatic stories and immersive dialogue.
