Quick Answer
What is the chestnuts and dates toss?
The chestnuts and dates toss is the closing moment of the pyebaek ceremony, in which the groom's parents throw chestnuts and jujube (Korean red dates) toward the bride, who catches as many as she can in her held-up hanbok skirt — a blessing traditionally associated with having children.
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Last updated:
What is the chestnuts and dates toss?
Also called: daechu-bam toss, jujube and chestnut toss.
If a Korean wedding video has one moment guests replay, it is usually this one: the bride, already kneeling in hanbok after a round of formal bows, holds her skirt open like a basket while the groom's parents toss handfuls of chestnuts and dates toward her, laughing as she scrambles to catch them. It closes out pyebaek on a genuinely joyful note after several minutes of solemn ritual.
How the toss works and what it means
- •Comes at the end of the pyebaek ceremony, after the couple has bowed to and been blessed by the groom's parents.
- •The bride holds up the front of her hanbok skirt (chima) to form a catching pouch.
- •The groom's parents throw chestnuts and jujube (dried red dates) toward her, sometimes along with spoken wishes for the marriage.
- •The number of items caught is popularly said to hint at the number of children the couple will have, though most families treat this as a lighthearted tradition rather than a serious prediction.
Planning notes
- •This happens inside the pyebaek room, so brief your photographer to be positioned for it specifically — it is a fast, one-take moment.
- •Confirm chestnuts and jujube are sourced ahead of time as part of the pyebaek table setup, not treated as a last-minute grocery run.
Brief your photographer on the moments that matter
Keep a shared shot list for family-only moments like the chestnuts and dates toss using Weddingkart's wedding checklist, so nothing gets missed on the day.
Try the wedding checklist tool →Frequently Asked Questions
Is the chestnuts and dates toss part of the main ceremony?
No — it happens during pyebaek, the private, family-only ritual held after the main ceremony, not during the ceremony itself.
What does catching more chestnuts and dates mean?
Popular belief ties the number caught to the number of future children, though this is treated as a playful tradition rather than a literal prediction by most families today.
Why chestnuts and jujube specifically?
Both have long associations in Korean tradition with fertility and abundance, making them the customary items thrown during this part of pyebaek.
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By Mayank JaiswalLast updated