At a traditional Dol (Korean first birthday celebration), a fortune telling ritual called a Doljabi happens where the child chooses their own fortune. I love this part of every Dol because it’s always fun and interesting to see what a baby will pick. It’s a great little activity that centers the attention on the birthday boy or girl, and it’s very simple to put together.
The parents set out several items and the child is allowed to pick one of the objects. The three traditional items we used for both WJ and LMW’s Doljabi were: pencil (scholar), money (wealth), and string (long life). Many parents now include career-specific items such as a stethoscope, golf ball, baseball, calculator, paintbrush, microphone… I’ve even seen a toothbrush (for the future dentist??)!
Many parents also put together a contest to involve the guests: each guest receives a ticket to vote on which item the baby will choose. After the Doljabi happens, the winner is picked from the votes for the chosen item.
As for our family… As a baby, Wagon Sr. chose the pencil (true!), I chose the string (true? we’ll see!), and both WJ and LMW chose the pencil, which is what I was rooting for!! The interesting thing is that they both moved towards the string, then the money, but didn’t touch either of them and went straight for the pencil, picked it up, and of course put it directly into their mouths.
If you had a doljabi at your little one’s first birthday, what would you want them to choose? (Mrs. Pen isn’t Korean but did a wonderful job of incorporating the doljabi into her son’s birthday party here — he chose the stethoscope!)
Doljanchi: First Birthday part 4 of 7
1. Noelle's Dol | First Birthday by Mrs. High Heels2. Planning Jaren's 1st Birthday (Dol) by Mrs. High Heels
3. Jaren's Dol | First Birthday by Mrs. High Heels
4. Doljabi by mrs. wagon
5. Wagon Jr.'s Dol by mrs. wagon
6. Lil Miss Wagon's Dol Celebration by mrs. wagon
7. Evan's First Birthday Bash by Parties
blogger / nectarine / 2600 posts
I did this at Drakeys first birthday too, its called something in Chinese but I have no clue what it is. He picked a.book which I used for scholar so dame as your two and your hubby. I had a few other options but I dont recall what they were now but I did put a hockey stick for.Mr Chocolate.
pea / 15 posts
My husband is Vietnamese, so we did this at my son’s first birthday as well. Much to everyone’s delight, he picked the money!
blogger / pomelo / 5361 posts
This is such a fun tradition! I would be secretly cheering for one to choose the pencil and one the money!
grapefruit / 4400 posts
We did this for C (I’m Vietnamese– it’s part of the toi noi/”leaving the crib” 1st birthday tradition) and she picked the watercolor set, followed by the $20 bill! So I guess she’ll be a non-starving artist
coconut / 8279 posts
future Hahvahd kids? ;D
love this tradition!
@Mrs. Chocolate: um, love that you put a hockey stick, we would’ve done that, hehe
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21628 posts
This looks like such a fun tradition!
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
HAHA i love them!!!
nectarine / 2600 posts
I def. want to do this if/when the time comes. DH is Filipino, but I don’t think they have something like this in their culture? (I could be wrong?) But I still want to do it! I think I’d add a mask for theater, maybe some dance shoes for dancing if they follow in my footsteps
pea / 7 posts
Aw this is such a good tradition!
@TheSwissWifeStyle: I am Filipino and unfortunately we don’t have this tradition! I wanted to do this for my son as well, but didn’t. I wish I did!