Bringing Good Luck in 2012

Each year on January 1st on the lunar calendar, Koreans celebrate the Lunar New Year. On this day, they exchange a unique greeting

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[Interview : ] "May your new year be filled with good luck!"

Now, how can we gather up luck to make that come true.

The Chinese also celebrate the Lunar New Year, and in China, people paste the Chinese character for luck on their front door to wish for a happy year.

In Japan, people put on new clothes on New Year's day to visit temples and pick out omikuji, slips of paper with the year's fortune written on them.

This Lunar New Year's day, what kind of luck are people wishing for in Korea

[Interview : Park Su-jin, Visitor] "I came to make a wish!"

[Interview : Jang Yeong-chun, Visitor] "I'm going to wish that my mom listens to whatever I say!"

[Interview : Park Eun-jeong, Visitor] "I hear that if you make a wish here, it really comes true. This has been a famous spot for a very long time".

Everyone here gathers their hands and bows, making a wish toa stone, about as big as a person's head and weighing about 10 kg. If the wish is to come true, the stone will not be lifted. If the stone lifts, it means that the wish will NOT come true. This is a popular spot for making wishes especially during the Lunar New Year season.

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[Interview : ] "I can't lift the stone!"

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[Interview : ] "I can't lift the stone!"

What about this man[Interview : ] "It's too bad. I was hoping I wouldn't be able to lift it".

Every year, people flock here to foresee their new year's fortune.

[Interview : Nam Sang-jeong, Visitor] "It's amazing. I can't believe that something like this is real".

[Interview : Kim Yun-tae, Visitor] "I came here last year to wish for a wife, and my wish came true. This year, I wished for a healthy baby, and the stone didn't lift. I think it'll come true. I'm very happy".

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[Interview : ] "Dolhalmae, bring us lots of good luck!"

2012 is the Year of the Black Dragon, back after 60 years! Now, let's take a look at some tips that you can follow to make this special year a little luckier than usual.

The first unique way to bring luck is through makeup. Physiognomy is the art of telling someone's fortune by their facial appearance, and fortunes can be changed by changing the face! Could this be true

How can we use makeup to change our faces and fortunes

[Interview : Park Seong-jun, Physiognomic makeup artist] "Physiognomy is the art of telling a person's fortune from their facial attributes. There are many people who come to get advice about how to start a successful new year with hope".

[Interview : Park Seong-jun, Physiognomic makeup artist] "Physiognomy is based on what can be seen with the eye, so it can be controlled through cosmetic surgery or makeup. People's fortunes change with their facial appearances".

You can change your own fortune through makeup. For example, you can brighten the edges of your eyes and use concealer to get rid of blemishes, bringing yourself better luck in love. If you shade the sides of your nose to make your nose seem higher, your fortune becomes one in which you can keep and protect your wealth.

We can also use our everyday fashion choices to bring us better luck. In 1993, one specialist introduced Korea to the idea of "practical color application".

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[Interview : ] "Hello".

[Interview : Kim Min-gyeong, Director] "Korea KMK Color Institute"

What colors can bring us luck in the new year[Interview : Kim Min-gyeong, Director
Korea KMK Color Institute] "Yellow and red are two colors that bring good luck, because they symbolize power and strength. These were colors that were used by the royalty in ancient Korea. In particular, yellow is a color that brings to mind the heat of the sun, energy, and hope. Red symbolizes energy, in particular vitality".

Our second tip for bringing you more luck is colors used in fashion! So each morning, consider adding in some lucky colors to your outfit.

[Interview : Kim Min-gyeong, Director Korea KMK Color Institute] "These days, it's a good idea to incorporate golden yellow into your outfit through a scarf or makeup. Red draws attention, so matching it with black or gray will give you energy while keeping you stylish. If you begin your year with these colors, the year is sure to be full of good luck".

The last tip for bringing more luck in 2012 is pung su, or geomancy interior design! Pung su studies the harmony between nature and mankind. A completge make-over might be difficult for many, but according to Pung su, luck can be summoned by changing around wallpaper or furniture.

[Interview : Seo Seong-gwan] "Pung su interior designer"

[Interview : Seo Seong-gwan, Pung su interior designer] "Geomancy interior design doesn't mean that you have to spend a lot of money completely renovating your home. Simply changing some wallpaper or furniture, or even just moving furniture around can bring you better financial or health luck and result in a better year overall".

Seo Seong-gwan looks around a home and decides that using more red tones will help raise the energy in the home. He recommends using a new warm-colored wallpaper.

Seo Seong-gwan, Pung su interior designer

The most important place in geomancy is the main entrance, which controls wealth. It can be considered the entrance for luck.

The bedroom symbolizes promotion and health. The kitchen is also important because it is a place that is responsible for the health of the family. In geomancy, these are the three most important places: the main entrance, the bedroom, and the kitchen.

We've introduced you to ways to improve your luck in 2012 by changing small everyday habits. We hope that all your wishes come true and that you will have a very prosperous new year, filled with lots of luck.

[Interview : Seo Seong-gwan, Pung su interior designer] "It is now 2012, the Year of the Dragon. Please remember that good luck comes to those who work hard".

[Interview : Park Seong-jun, Physiognomic makeup artist] "Arirang viewers, I hope that you will have a new year filled with more happiness and good luck than ever".

[Interview : Kim Min-gyeong, Director Korea KMK Color Institute] "I hope that you will all have another year filled with good luck and energy".

To all our Arirang TV viewers, may your new year be filled with good luck!

[STUDIO]
Color is very important. I'm a fan of red.
And I heard that a clean house is good luck. So no dirty dishes.
The face reading scares me though.
That's a lot of pressure. Up next we have more on good luck so stay with us.