Doljanchi is a tradition that occurs when a baby first turns 1 year old. My source first witnessed this with the birth of his baby sister in Korea. In this ritual, a baby is celebrated and his or her fortune is told. The fortune of the baby is told by placing the child  in front of a table of foods and objects such as string, books, brushes, ink and money. Whichever object the child picks up will foretell the child’s future. For example, money or rice signify wealth, while a brush means a scholar. People will often bet with money for fun to guess what a baby might choose at such a ceremony. At these ceremonies, entire extended families are often invited, making such events very important in Korean culture.

Doljanchi appears to show the significance that having a healthy child holds in Korean culture. The objects placed on the table as well as the objects that the parents of the child want them are symbolic of faith in one’s children. Predestination appears to be a large part of Korean culture as well, though nowadays the ritual is said to have become much more simply a family gathering than anything else.