Bong Seon Hwa: A traditional Korean custom for your nails
Story by Sherrin Hibbard | Photos by Alison Crump
Recently, you may have noticed that a lot of women, and maybe some of your students, have orange coloured fingertips and nails. No, they are not nicotine stains! This is the time of year, after the rains, when women and children dye their nails with the bong seon hwa plant.
Spelled “bong seon hwa” (봉 선 화), traditionally dyed nails are considered to be very beautiful and it is said that if your nails …

Every year, Chuseok, which falls on August 15th of the lunar calendar, is celebrated by families all over Korea. Family members return to their home-towns to be with family, causing huge traffic jams and resulting in trains, planes and buses being booked up months in advance. While many westerners refer to Chuseok as “a Korean Thanksgiving” or “kind of like our Christmas”, few non-Koreans really know what it’s all about. So, if you’re curious to find out what all the fuss is about, read on.
At Chuseok, families gather together …