Full Moon Fever

Sunday, March 4th The first full moon of the lunar new year marks a special tradition in Korea. People gather around a large cone of dead wood and bramble and then line it with banners and packages containing wishes for prosperity, health and high test scores. Around 7pm the large pile was set ablaze. The fire started out slowly but soon billowed into a major blaze, despite the driving rain, with smoke and cinders pouring over the heads of the several hundred or so spectators who braved the wet conditions to witness the spectacle.







Construction of the "pyre".
(photo courtesy of http://kevinoshea.blogspot.com/)

The completed burning thingy,

and an anxious crowd of umbrellas.

The smoldering hunk of burning...ah, whatever...
That's a spotlight and the TV in the beside it was playing
commercials for booze.

Eventually the fire kicked up and cooked up everyone's new year wishes real good!!

Fire at night is very hard to take clear pictures of...