축제가 아니라 장례식입니다

Chook-jeh-gah ah-nee-rah Jahng-ryeh-shik-im-nee-dah

This meme first appeared on November 20, 2017, in the EBS 'World Theme Travel' episode titled 'Green on the Equator, Micronesia Part 1: Secret of the Millennium Kingdom.' It later gained significant renewed attention and popularity online, coinciding with the 'Coffin Dance meme' which began trending in 2020.

"It's not a festival, it's a funeral" is an expression used when a situation that was originally supposed to be joyful and festive unexpectedly turns solemn or disappointing. Especially in online communities, it's often used to sarcastically lament or criticize situations where there was high anticipation for a new game or update, but the result was disappointing, or controversies arose within the community leading to widespread criticism.

It is primarily used by young people, from late teens to their 30s, who are active users of online communities, especially gaming-related ones. It tends to be widely used by both men and women, not limited to a specific gender.

• When a highly anticipated major game update is revealed, but user complaints explode, one might say, "It's not a festival, it's a funeral."
• It's also used when a long-awaited movie or drama trailer is released, but its quality falls short of expectations, leading to disappointment.

This meme is appropriate for expressing situations where anticipation has turned into disappointment, or for conveying a cynical atmosphere. Therefore, it's best not to use it in genuinely joyful or celebratory settings, or in serious and solemn situations. One should carefully consider the context of use, as it might offend others or spoil the mood.