November has two seasonal divisions―riptong and sosol.
Riptong refers to the beginning of winter while sosol indicates the start of snowfall. The former falls on 7th or 8th and the latter falls on 22nd or 23rd of November.
What is important in the Korean people’s dietary practices was to make kimchi and to steam soybeans for making soybean paste of the next spring.
Regarding kimchi as important food supply for winter, the Korean people have long attached great importance to preparing kimchi. The materials and recipes were different in different parts of the country.
At this time every year, people made whole cabbage kimchi and other kinds of kimchi of different tastes and aromas peculiar to different localities including watery radish kimchi, wrapped-up kimchi and leaf-mustard kimchi.
The housewives of several families cooperated to make kimchi in turn and they regarded offering their fresh kimchi to their neighbours first as a moral practice.
Steaming and making balls of soybean for making soybean paste in the next spring was also an old custom handed down from generation to generation.
The folk games of this season include some indoor games like yut-game, paduk, Korean chess, etc. suitable for cold weather conditions and some outdoor games including kite-flying, shuttlecock, etc. enjoyed by children.