These days, some parents will prepare a modern doljabi. For a modern doljabi, the parents offer things like a microphone or a soccer ball to predict if the baby will be a singer or a soccer player.
The history of the doljanchi goes back many centuries. In the old days, when the infant motalify rate was higher, many babies died before they could reach their first birthday. Therefore, whenever a baby would reach their first birthday, Korean people would have a big celebration with all the people in their community to celebrate.
Even though it's now much less common for babies in South Korea to die within their first year of life, this tradition is ingrained in South Korean culture.
One of the most important dishes of the doljanchi is the rice cake. Rice cakes can be found in many dishes in South Korea because they can be fried, steamed, pounded and shaped. Rice is a staple food in South Korea and many Korean people eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Since rice is so important here, it is often incorporated celebrations.
