The peppers of summer

(For some reason I still seem to be blocked from my blog at home. At least I have access at work.)

I have already talked about the panties of spring. Now, with the dog days of summer on us, I have another Korean seasonal rite to talk about; the peppers of summer.

For folks who have never been to Korea, it is a fairly common practice for parents to let their young boys (2-4 years old) go around naked or with only a T-shirt on. Traditionally, Korean parents were proud to show off their young son's penises as having sons is considered a great blessing in Confutian cultures. 'Pepper' comes from the Korean nickname for penises; gochu (red pepper, the same thing that is in most Korean dishes).

When I live down in Mungyeong, Gyeongsangbuk-do 'pepper sightings' were pretty common in the summer months. But Gyeonggi-do seems to be much less traditional. Before this week I had only seen one pepper this year. But, with the rainy season over and the temperatures going up, you can't swing a dead cat over your head without hitting a naked little boy in the naighborhood near my college.

In one cute little scene, I group of young mothers had filled serveral large plastic wash tubs full of water and their naked little boys were jumping around in them. There were some young girls there too....

....but, of course, the little girls kept their clothes on. I guess they have nothing for their parents to show off.