Burning the Moon House

Burning the Moon House

February; 15th day of the first lunar monthThe festival known as Dal-jip-tae-u-gee in the Kyongsang provinces of Korea pays tribute to the moon by watching it rise through a moon house or moon gate—a carefully constructed pile of pine branches which are set on fire. The moon gate is usually built on the top of a hill or at the seashore, where it is easier to see the moon rise through the flames. Jumping over the flames is believed to ward off evil, and the direction in which the moon gate collapses is an indication of whether the coming year will bring good luck or bad.
In other parts of Korea, a similar moon festival known as Dal-ma-ji is celebrated on the eve of the first full moon of the lunar year. People climb hills and build bonfires (without the "gate") to welcome the moon. Various folkloric beliefs concerning the harvest and the weather are associated with the color and brightness of the moon on this night.
See also Taeborum
SOURCES:
AnnCustKorea-1983, p. 61
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 90