Seokjeon Daeje

Seokjeon Daeje
The Seokjeon Daeje is performed in the grounds of Munmyo.
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised Romanization	Seokjeon Daeje
McCune–Reischauer	Sŏkchŏn Taeche

The Seokjeon Daeje, also sometimes called Seokjeonje, is a ceremonial rite performed twice annually to honor Confucius. It is held at Confucian sites across South Korea including hyanggyos and the Confucian temple Munmyo located at Sungkyunkwan, on Confucius' birthday in fall (28 September) and the anniversary of his death in spring (11 May).Seokjeon is made up of the two Chinese characters, 釋 (to lay out) and 酋 (alcohol), and Seokjeon Daeje means "Laying out offerings ceremony". It involves an elaborate ceremony with sacrificial offerings of alcohol and foods, as well as an elaborate dance known as munmyo ilmu accompanied by musical performances munmyo jeryeak. Ceremonies honoring Confucius date back to 372 in Korea, during the Three Kingdoms Period.

In 2011, Korea nominated the ceremony for the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, however, it did not satisfy the criteria for selection and UNESCO invited the Korean government to submit it again in the future with additional information. The ceremony is recognized in Korea as important intangible cultural heritage no.85.

The Seokjeon rite resembles a large-scale version of Jesa ancestral funerary rites.

(1) Entrance and preparation: Welcoming the honored spirits by way of the main gate and the spirit path (yeongsin). The master of music leads the musicians and dancers to their places. The usher escorts the Confucian scholars to their places. The usher conducts the reader of the invocation or ceremonial address and the deacons to their places. The reader and the deacons bow four times. The announcer requests that the first offerer opens the ceremony. Music is played by the Ground Orchestra, and the Civil Dance begins

(2) Offerings of Tribute and Sacrificial Food (jeonpyerye) to the spirits of Confucius and the Four Assessors. The first offerer kneels in front of the tablet of Confucius, burns incense three times, offers the sacrifices, and rises. The first offerer proceeds to the tablet of Tseng Tzu, kneels, burns incense three times, offers the sacrifice, and rises. The first offerer proceeds to the tablet of Mencius, kneels, burns incense three times, offers the sacrifice, and rises.

(3) First Wine Offering (choheon). The announcer escorts the first offerer to the wine table for the offering to Confucius. Attendants pour the wine from the cattle-shaped pitcher to the brass cup. They turn the wine cup over to the worshippers. They receive the wine cup and circle the wine cup three times above the smouldering fire.