May in Korea: The Month Koreans Love and Dread at the Same Time
T.S. Eliot wrote that "April is the cruellest month." In Korea, many would argue May deserves that title — at least for anyone with a family. The holidays stack up so fast, and the spending follows, that Koreans have actually coined a word for the anxiety it brings: 메이포비아 , or May-phobia. And yet, for visitors, this is exactly what makes May so fascinating to experience. May in Korea isn't just a calendar month. It's practically a national celebration, packed with public holidays, heartfelt traditions, and the kind of street energy that makes you feel like you stumbled into something special. Koreans call it 가정의 달 — Family Month — and once you see what's packed into those 31 days, you'll understand why. Why Koreans Call May "Family Month" No other month on the Korean calendar comes close to May in terms of meaningful dates. Within a single month, Koreans observe Children's Day, Parents' Day, Teachers' Day, Buddha's Birthday...