When is First Full Moon Festival?
In 2026, First Full Moon Festival falls on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. It is classified here as a North Korean public holiday.
History of First Full Moon Festival
Cheongwoldaeboreum marks the first full moon of the lunar new year. Across Korean tradition, the occasion is associated with hopes for a sound harvest, good health and an auspicious start to the agricultural year. It is distinct from Seollal but remains part of the same wider lunar-new-year season.
The DPRK calendar lists it as a public holiday. Traditional Korean customs connected with the day include seasonal foods and moon-related wishes, though the public format and personal observance can vary considerably.
The Korean name 정월대보름 refers to the great full moon of the first lunar month. It traditionally opens the agricultural season with wishes concerning health, weather and harvests. In 2026 the date converted to March 3. Diplomatic holiday lists classify the occasion among non-working days, but detailed contemporary reporting is sparse and outside observation is limited. Practices such as eating mixed grains or nuts, viewing the moon and holding folk games belong to wider Korean tradition; they are described cautiously here because regional, institutional and household observance inside the DPRK cannot be measured reliably.
How First Full Moon Festival is observed
A documented nationwide lunar public holiday on Tuesday, March 3 in 2026, marking the first full moon of the Korean year.
Traditions of First Full Moon Festival
First-full-moon wishes
People may associate the year's first full moon with health, favourable weather and hopes for a successful agricultural season.
Grain and nut foods
Wider Korean custom includes mixed grains, nuts and other seasonal foods, but availability and household practice within the DPRK vary.
Folk games and performances
Institutions may stage traditional games, music or agricultural-themed programmes; sparse reporting prevents a reliable claim of nationwide participation.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official North Korean official and calendar guidance. Lunar-calendar and annual state schedules should be confirmed against authoritative current-year guidance.
History sources: North Korea 2026 public-holiday calendar, KCNA: Lunar New Year’s Day celebrated in the DPRK, Russian Embassy in the DPRK: country information and holiday list.
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