The ethos of filial piety, the foundation of karye, stressed the importance of ancestral veneration and the awareness of one's roots so that paying homage to ancestors through chesa and maintaining the family line came to be considered the highest acts of filial piety. As a result, birth rituals borne of the desire for sons, and ancestor worship became very important in Korea. .
Among these rituals, birth rituals were very important. At this time, families desperately prayed for sons, for it was the only way to preserve the family line. Childless women prayed devoutly at mountains and rivers or renowned Buddhist temples. Some women stole ropes used to announce the birth of a baby, or they stole the red peppers tied to the ropes to announced the birth of a son. They would then eat the peppers. From ancient times, Koreans believed in the Birth Grandmother who was thought to oversee the birth of a child. The Mongolian spot, or blue mark, which is usually present on the sacral region at the base of the spine of Asian babies, was thought to be the place where the Birth Grandmother slapped the child to bring it to life. Before the anticipated delivery of a child, people placed straw on the floor to pray for the baby's safe delivery and also set up a ritual table for the Birth Grandmother. After the delivery, it was customary to offer white rice and seaweed soup to express gratitude, a practice that continued for twenty-one days. The custom helped to obtain peace of mind by relying on an absolute being to prevent misfortunes that are beyond the control of humans. It was also part of shamanism and strongly associated with Korean worship of heaven.
A child's first birthday, or tol, was celebrated with a feast. In the past, a child's mortality rate was very high. Therefore, once the child reached his/her first birthday, the family would celebrate the fact that the child had survived for a whole year.
