The name of the holiday in Korean is of interest. It is called Seuseung ui nal 스승의 날 "Teachers' Day". What's interesting about it is that the word used here is not the common Korean word for teacher, which is seonseang 선생 先生. Seonsaeng, of course, is just a borrowing from Chinese (cf. Mandarin xiānsheng 先生)—or, more properly, just a borrowing from Japanese (cf. sensei 先生) which is a borrowing from Chinese.
Seuseung is the native Korean word for teacher, a word that has been almost entirely replaced by the borrowing. I've never heard it used in normal conversation.
At any rate, this is the day that students give gifts to their teachers to show their appreciation. It was a pleasant surprise for me to receive a gift from one of my students in America.
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| The word for teacher on the ribbon is seonsaeng 선생 (plus honorific suffix -nim 님). |
This basket is a mix of roses and carnations. The carnation is a symbol of affection and respect, so it is frequently used as a gift for both Parents' Day and Teachers' Day.
According to Wikipedia, the date of Teachers' Day was moved to May 15 from May 26 in 1965. May 15 is the birthday of King Sejong, perhaps the most famous of Korea's monarchs, who is known for his wisdom and love of learning. He is credited not only for wise rule but also for a number of impressive inventions, not the least of which is the Korean alphabet. This makes his birthday a fitting day to celebrate the contributions of teachers.
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