Day of the Sun

For the 1978 US event advocating solar power, see Sun Day.

Day of the Sun
A flower exhibition of Kimilsungias on the Day of the Sun at the Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia Exhibition House
Observed byNorth Korea
SignificanceBirth of Kim Il Sung (1912)
ObservancesVisits to statues of Kim Il-sung and his mausoleum, fireworks, performances, sports competitions, folk dances.
Date15 April
FrequencyAnnual
First timeAfter being designated on 8 July 1997
Related toDay of the Shining Star (16 February), Loyalty Festival (between 16 February and 15 April), Sun Festival (throughout April), April Spring Friendship Art Festival
Day of the Sun
Chosŏn'gŭl
태양절
Hancha
太陽節[1]
Revised RomanizationTaeyangjeol
McCune–ReischauerT'aeyang-jŏl

The Day of the Sun (Korean: 태양절; MR: T'aeyang-jŏl) is an annual public holiday in North Korea on 15 April, the birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung, founder and Eternal President of North Korea.[2] It is the most important national holiday in the country,[3] and is considered to be the North Korean equivalent of Christmas.[4] Kim's birthday, which had been an official holiday since 1968, was renamed Day of the Sun in 1997, three years after his death. The name takes its significance from his name: Il-sung (Korean for 'become the Sun').

North Koreans commemorate the holiday by visiting locations that have a connection with the leader's life, such as thousands of statues scattered across the country, or Mangyongdae, his birthplace in the capital Pyongyang. The most important observances take place in the capital, including visits to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where Kim Il Sung's body lies in rest, and the Mansu Hill Grand Monument, which features a very tall statue of the leader.

The state seeks to provide its citizens with more food and electricity than is normally available, although this is not always achieved.[5] Children, in particular, receive candy and other gifts attributed to the love shown by the leaders.[6]

Festivities are not confined to the specific date. Commemorations occur from 16 February, which is the birthday of Kim Jong Il, during what is known as the Loyalty Festival. Celebrations in April around the Day of the Sun are called the Sun Festival. The day itself is followed by two days of rest, making it a three-day holiday.

  1. ^ 극(克) (in Korean). 보스톤코리아 [Boston Korea]. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  2. ^ "Birthday of Kim Il-sung". Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary (Fourth ed.). Omnigraphics. 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2015 – via TheFreeDictionary.com.
  3. ^ Calum MacLeod (26 April 2013). "Korean defectors recall 'Day of the Sun'". USA Today. Contributing: Jueyoung Song, Duck Hwa Hong. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lee2001 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Lee Sang Yong (17 February 2015). "Special Holiday Snacks 'Hard As Rocks'". Daily NK. Translated by Jiyeon Lee. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference dail_KimI was invoked but never defined (see the help page).