Step-by-Step Guide to Doljanchi – Korean 1st Birthday

What is a Doljanchi?

There are few things you should know prior to this step-by step guide to doljanchis or Korean 1st birthday. A Doljanchi is a Korean 1st birthday party. “Dol” means 1st birthday and “janchi” means celebration or party.

What is a Doljabi?

Doljabi is a part of the doljanchi where the child is presented with a number of items that playfully “predict” what their future will hold. Usually the child is encouraged to crawl/walk towards and grab the item they like. This is an integral part of every doljanchi.

What is a Dolsang?

A “dolsang” is a Korean 1st birthday table. In the past, the dolsang was a floor table filled with foods like rice cakes and fruit along with floral decorations. Recently, the dolsang has become a very decorative centerpiece and backdrop of the doljanchi celebrations with elaborate desserts and adorable pictures of the child.

What are some traditional doljabi items and their meanings?

1. Yarn/String – long life
2. Bow and Arrow – military career
3. Money – wealth
4. Pencil/Book – scholar
5. Food – will not go hungry

What are more modern doljabi items and their meanings?

Modern parents have included all sorts of things for the doljabi and have made it a very creative and fun event especially for the guests to see.

1. Stethoscope – doctor
2. Microphone – entertainer
3. Sports ball – sports star (golf ball is very common for Koreans)
4. Gavel – judge/lawyer
5. Paintbrush – artist
6. Computer mouse – techie
7. Spatula – chef

Why is the 1st birthday special for Koreans?

In the past, due to poverty, lack of proper nutrition, and insufficient pediatric care, children in Korea often did not live past their 1st birthday. Therefore, the Korean 1st birthday is a huge milestone and over time, the celebrations have gotten more extravagant.

What type of gifts are given for a Korean 1st birthday?

Traditionally, children are gifted gold jewelry, especially tiny baby rings. This was meant to be used for money if the child grew up and ever faced harder times. These days, any gift appropriate for a 1 year old is completely normal. 

Is it common to give money for a Korean 1st birthday? How much is usually given?

Yes, many older generation guests often give money to the mother and father of the child as a gift. It is customary to give anywhere between $50-100.

What does the immediate family wear at doljanchis?

Mothers and fathers often wear a “hanbok,” which is a traditional Korean outfit. Oftentimes, the whole family chooses to match in similar colors. However, it is not a steadfast requirement. Plenty of mothers and fathers also choose to dress casually and comfortably. The outfit is usually reflective of the venue chosen as well.

What should a guest wear at doljanchis?

Depending on the venue, guests should dress appropriately. If you are being invited to a golf course, hotel, or fancy restaurant, it is recommended you dress up a little more. Female guests will wear casual dresses and males should at least wear a collared shirt and khakis. If the 1st birthday is at a park, at a home or somewhere else similarly casual, it would be perfectly acceptable to wear a nice pair of jeans and a clean, ironed shirt.

How much do parents spend on doljanchis?

The amount spent on a doljanchi varies significantly. It can be anywhere from a modest $100 at home celebration to an extravagant $10,000 event. Parents who choose to have the 1st birthday party at a fancy venue will be paying for each individual guest’s meal like at a wedding. In addition, they will hire professional photographers, order designer cakes, dolsang designers, tons of expensive desserts, rent or buy hanboks, fill the venue with flowers or balloons, hire entertainers for the other children, and some even have an open bar for the adults. 

Here is your step-by-step guide to Doljanchi planning

Professional photographer

The photographer you hire should specialize in children/family photography. As a new parent, you should know how hard it is to keep the baby from crying and focused on the camera. Professional Korean baby photographers have photography studios and props specifically ready for baby entertainment and engagement to ensure you have absolutely adorable results. You will also see professional baby photos at the doljanchi already. This is because many parents opt to have a professional studio session for their baby and family approximately 1-2 months before the birthday party.

Dolsang table

The dolsang is the centerpiece of the party. There are 3 common approaches depending on budget and effort that parents tend to gravitate towards.

1. Lower budget
   • Cover with a clean crisp tablecloth
   • Order a simple two tier cake and place on top of a cake stand
   • Place two bouquets of flowers on each side in vases with similar design the to the cake stand
   • Buy beautifully ripened fruits like bananas, apples, and orange and place on another cake stand or shallow bowls
   • Lastly, order a dozen designer sugar cookies that match the aesthetic of the dolsang
2. Medium budget
   • Include all of the lower budget items with a few tweaks
     • Layer the tablecloth to create dimension
     • Order a decorative two or even three tier cake with a theme or aesthetic matching your dolsang
     • Place multiple smaller and larger bouquets of flowers in different size vases around your table
     • Include additional dessert options 
   • Buy a backdrop stand and backdrop curtain or custom backdrop
   • Further decorate the backdrop with more flowers or a balloon arch
3. No budget
   • Hire a doljanchi planner or backdrop designer
     • Like a wedding planner, a doljanchi planner will orchestrate the whole operation from set up, to decor, to birthday proceedings, to the final clean up. You as the parent can enjoy the whole event without running around figuring things out.
     • You can also choose to only hire a backdrop or dolsang designer. Depending on your design idea, they can create custom wooden backdrops with your child’s name written beautifully on it with floral draping or eye-popping balloon arches. They will handle the dolsang table decor items as well as the desserts and flowers that fit the table.

The dolsang table is meant to also take pictures with your 1st birthday boy or girl. Whichever way you decide to go, make sure to create different heights for your items to add dimension without compromising the ability to take great pictures of the guest of honor.

Additional vendors

1. Entertainment for guests – face painter, bubble artist, ice cream truck, Disney characters, magician
2. Florist – dolsang florals, entrance table florals, guest table centerpieces
3. Hanbok – hanbok rentals or purchases
4. Hair and make up – mother of child and grandmothers
5. Balloon artist – balloon arch decoration
6. Birthday planner

Why do people eat rice cakes?

Rice cakes symbolize prosperity and life without hunger. Again, it circles back to the days in Korean history where children would not make it past their first birthday. Even the most humble families would make sure to celebrate their child’s Korean 1st birthday as extravagantly as possible.

I’ve also seen decorative tables at the entrance of some doljanchis. What is that for?

Some parents choose to create a beautiful entrance table at the door of the venue. Usually the table includes pictures of the birthday boy or girl, flowers, and doljabi games.

To keep things fun and light, guests are asked to make ballot bets on which doljabi item they think the child will choose. Of the people who chose correctly, usually a guest’s name is chosen randomly for a money or gift card prize. This decorative table is not a necessity, but an extra.

Where should you have the doljanchi?

Your venue of choice rests mostly on your budget and the amount of people you’d like to invite. If you look on Pinterest for inspiration you might find that a lot of Korean American families tend to have the party at restaurants, golf courses and even hotels. However, there is usually a per person charge at venues like this which would require you to increase your budget significantly. Typically, per person is ~$20-40 which can add up. After all, it’s likely you’re still going to need to decorate the actual dolsang.

But if you need to stick to a specific lower budget, do not despair! Many modern families are also choosing to throw the party in their home or at a park these days.

First time parents often forget, your guests will most likely have restless children they are bringing to the party as well. Having the celebration at your home where there will already be tons of toys or a park with a playground or a rented jumper is also an excellent choice. Food can be catered at a much lower cost as well.

Now that you’ve thoroughly read all the details to this step-by step guide on doljanchi, go relax with this step-by-step guide to a Korean Body Scrub at home.