Baby Olivia’s Birthday Doljanchi and Doljabi

Baby Olivia’s first birthday celebration (doljanchi) was such a joy for me to capture. As part of the event, we all enjoyed watching her during the doljabi ritual, when a spread of objects was laid out for her to choose from, each item symbolizing a different path in life. Although not Korean myself, it’s quite a familiar custom as we have a very similar tradition in Chinese culture 🙂

I last saw Olivia when I took some photos for the family at Filoli Gardens, and it was so cute to see her all dressed up in her golden hanbok, hair up in a playful pigtail, as she crawled toward the doljabi tray. As Olivia inspected the many items — including a stethoscope, hammer, microphone, and calculator, among others — with wide-eyed curiosity, her parents helpfully guided her towards one in particular. When she finally reached for the calculator, her parents burst into delighted laughter.

After the doljabi, we gathered everyone for photos with the birthday cake. Hannah and Henrique showered the birthday girl with kisses as she dipped her fingers into frosting, and even the family dog joined in. It has been an absolute delight to capture another beautiful milestone for the family!