History
In South Korea,
Parent's Day is annually held on May 8th. Parent's Day is celebrated by both
the public and the government. Family events focus on the parents; popular
actions include giving parents Carnations. Public events are led by the
Ministry of Health and Welfare include public celebrations and awards.
The origins of Parent's
Day can be traced back to the 1930s. Starting in 1930, some Christian
communities began to celebrate Mother's Day or Parents' Day. This tradition was
combined with Korea's traditional Confucianism culture to eventually establish
Mother's Day. In 1956, the State Council of South Korea designated May 8th as
an annual Mother's Day. However, the question of Father's Day was discussed[9]
and on March 30, 1973, May 8th was designated as Parents' Day under
Presidential Decree 6615, or the Regulations Concerning Various Holidays (각종 기념일 등에 관한 규정).[8] When Parents' Day
was first established, the entire week with the 8th day was designated to be a
week to respect the elderly, but this was abolished in 1997 with October
becoming the month designated for respecting the elderly
