한국 일생의례의 동아시아적 보편성과 고유성을 밝히는 것이 이 글의 목적이다. 이를 위한 분석 기준은 동아시아가 유교문화권에 있기 때문에 유교식 관혼상제를 일생의례의 보편성으로 보았다. 보편성과 고유성은 상대적이기 때문에 동아시아적 보편성이 서구의 입장에서는 고유성이 될 수 있고, 그 반대의 논리도 가능하다. 한국 일생의례의 동아시아적 보편성은 다른 민족이나 국가와 마찬가지로 관혼상제의 전통을 수용하고 있는 점이다. 이에 반해 한국 일생의례의 고유성은 첫째, 동아시아에서 유교식 관혼상제가 가장 온전한 형태로 남아 있다는 것이다. 둘째, 유교식 일생의례를 한국의 고유한 문화에 맞게 변용하여 수용한 것이라고 하겠다. 셋째는 기존의 고유신앙과 유교식 관혼상제가 융화하여 한국의 고유성을 강하게 드러나게 했다는 것이다. 산업화 도시화로 인해 유교적 성격이 가장 강한 한국의 일생의례 역시 간소화와 변화가 진행되고 있다. 하나의 습관이 형성되면 변화를 통해 지속되듯, 이러한 외형적 변화는 한국 일생의례의 고유성을 지속하는 하나의 원리라고 할 수 있다.

This paper is trying to look into the East Asian universality and peculiarity of Rites of Passage. The analytical method is that since East Asia is being sit in the middle of the Confucian culture, the four ceremonial occasions such as the one of coming-of-age, the one of marriage, the one of funeral and the one of ancestral worship are conceived as universality of Rites of Passage. However, the universality and peculiarity can be relative in nature. For example, from the Westerners’ perspective, the East Asian universality can be peculiarity and vice versa. The East Asian universality of Rites of Passage has in common with other ethnics or countries is that Koreans accept the tradition of the four ceremonial occasions as well. On the contrary, there are three unique characteristics which are the peculiarity of Korean Rites of Passage has; the first one is that Korea is the only place where the Confucian four ceremonial occasions are remained as a fully intact form. The second one is that the Confucian Rites of Passage were being accepted and fit into the Korean culture. In other words, the Confucian Rites of Passage were transformed and emerged into the Korean culture. The third one is that harmonizing folk beliefs and myth with the Confucian Rites of Passage strongly shows Korean peculiarity. Due to the industrialization and urbanization, the Korean Rites of Passage having the rigid Confucian style are changing such as the ceremonies themselves getting simplified. Once a kind of custom is patterned, it will be continued through the constant changes. Accordingly, these kinds of external changes can be defined as one principle maintaining the peculiarity of Korean Rites of Passage.

This paper is trying to look into the East Asian universality and peculiarity of Rites of Passage. The analytical method is that since East Asia is being sit in the middle of the Confucian culture, the four ceremonial occasions such as the one of coming-of-age, the one of marriage, the one of funeral and the one of ancestral worship are conceived as universality of Rites of Passage. However, the universality and peculiarity can be relative in nature. For example, from the Westerners’ perspective, the East Asian universality can be peculiarity and vice versa. The East Asian universality of Rites of Passage has in common with other ethnics or countries is that Koreans accept the tradition of the four ceremonial occasions as well. On the contrary, there are three unique characteristics which are the peculiarity of Korean Rites of Passage has; the first one is that Korea is the only place where the Confucian four ceremonial occasions are remained as a fully intact form. The second one is that the Confucian Rites of Passage were being accepted and fit into the Korean culture. In other words, the Confucian Rites of Passage were transformed and emerged into the Korean culture. The third one is that harmonizing folk beliefs and myth with the Confucian Rites of Passage strongly shows Korean peculiarity. Due to the industrialization and urbanization, the Korean Rites of Passage having the rigid Confucian style are changing such as the ceremonies themselves getting simplified. Once a kind of custom is patterned, it will be continued through the constant changes. Accordingly, these kinds of external changes can be defined as one principle maintaining the peculiarity of Korean Rites of Passage.

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life-long ceremonies, universality, peculiarity, Confucian style, Confucian culture, the four ceremonial occasions, the one of coming-of-age, the one of marriage, the one of funeral, and the one of ancestral worship.