What is Seollal and how is it celebrated?
Seollal usually falls on the second new moon following the winter solstice. Like a harvest festival, Seollal recognizes the cycle of seasons. As a celebration of the new year, Seollal allows Korean families to rest after a year’s work, while also preparing themselves for the year to come.
What is the traditional food of Seollal?
Eating Tteokguk (떡국 – rice cake soup) Tteokguk is the traditional food of Seollal which represents piety, dignity and the new year. It is a traditional soup made of thinly sliced white tteok (떡 – rice cake), beef, egg and vegetables. Koreans eat tteokguk with family members in the morning of Seollal.
Why do Koreans hide their shoes on Seollal?
There is a Korean belief that ghosts come to the human world to steal shoes on the eve of Seollal. The ghosts take the shoes that fit them, bestowing bad luck on the shoe owners for the entire year. So, people hide their shoes in safe places to prevent them from being stolen by the ghosts on Seollal’s eve.
What is the best gift for Seollal?
Other popular gifts for Seollal may include meat, fish, fruit, ginseng, honey, health products, massage chairs, toiletries (e.g., shampoo, soap, toothpaste), dried fish and hangwa (한과 – traditional Korean cookies).
How do you greet a happy Seollal in Korean?
0:141:15How to Say "Happy New Year" in Korean - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut they also say table money buddies he'll say book money buddies here that literally means I wishMoreBut they also say table money buddies he'll say book money buddies here that literally means I wish you good blessings for the new year and that's how you would say Happy New Year in Korean.
What do Koreans call the Lunar New Year?
SeollalSeollal, or Korean Lunar New Year is a holiday and celebration which marks the first day of the Korean Lunar Calender. In 2014, Seollal falls on Friday, January 31st - though the celebration is typically three days long, beginning the day before and ending the day after.
Is seollal the same as Lunar New Year?
“Korean Lunar New Year or 설날 (Seollal) is the Korean version of Chinese New Year. It is celebrated at the same time as Chinese New Year (except for a rare case every several years where they fall a day apart) and, as the name indicates, is dependent on the lunar calendar,” according to Amy Poehler's Smart Girls.
What do you give on Korean New Year?
During the week leading up to Seollal, Koreans shop for gifts to give family members. Gifts include fresh fruits, ginseng, honey, gift baskets (with tuna, spam, traditional sweets, dried fish) toiletries and cash. The first day of the celebration begins with Charye.
Why is Seollal celebrated?
Korean New YearSeollalAlso calledSeollalObserved byKorean people around the worldTypeCulturalSignificanceFirst day of the Chinese lunar calendar7 more rows
What does a deep bow mean in Korean?
This type of greeting is used when informally greeting someone or walking past someone of a higher status. Business interactions require a deeper bow, where the torso bends from the waist by about 30 degrees. The deepest, most polite bow expresses sincerest gratitude or apology.
Do you wear red on Lunar New Year?
Red underwear is often worn during Lunar New Year and it is considered an auspicious accessory that all Chinese people – men and women, young and old – put on to maximise their luck and fortune. For people who don't want to be seen wearing something too flamboyant, this less conspicuous choice is an ideal alternative.
What do you wear on Lunar New Year?
Chinese usually wear red or other brightly-colored clothes on New Year's Day, to go with the festive and upbeat mood. Red is China's good luck color, believed to scare away spirits of bad fortune. Some families wear traditional Chinese clothing like qipao or Tangzhuang.
What is Charye?
Charye (차례, 茶禮) is an ancestral rite held on holidays or certain days that mark the change of seasons.
Does Korea use lunar calendar?
Festivals. The lunar calendar is used for the observation of traditional festivals, such as Seollal, Chuseok, and Buddha's Birthday. It is also used for jesa memorial services for ancestors and the marking of birthdays by older Koreans.
What is Seotdal Geumeum in Korea?
Seotdal Geumeum (Kor. 섣달그믐) refers to the Lunar New Year's Eve and is also known as Semit (Kor. 세밑, lit. year bottom), Nunsseop Seneun Nal (Kor.
Do Japanese celebrate Lunar New Year?
Although Lunar New Year isn't a holiday in Japan, it does not pass unmarked! For example, there is the 15-day Chinese Spring Festival in Yokohama, where you can see the Lion Dance, catch the Celebration Parade, and see thousands of lanterns on the final day of the festival.
Do Koreans celebrate new year twice?
South Korea. Koreans essentially have two separate celebrations for what the Western world would consider a birthday: their date of birth, and New Year's, when everyone turns a year older.
What is the purpose of Seollal?
This is a time for reflection, hope, and family . Seollal is just one noteworthy example of a holiday that serves this important purpose.
Why is Seollal celebrated?
As a celebration of the new year, Seollal allows Korean families to rest after a year’s work, while also preparing themselves for the year to come.
When is the Korean Lunar New Year and How Long Does it Last?
The specific dates on which Seollal falls will vary from year to year. Seollal began on January 25 in 2020. In 2021, it started on February 12. In 2022, it will begin on February 1.
Why is Seollal important?
Because so many families spend Seollal with loved ones, as it approaches, many Koreans make travel arrangements in advance to ensure they can reach their family members in time for the celebration. Many consider Seollal to be the most important Korean holiday of the year.
Why do Koreans bow?
Once the food is prepared, Koreans will usually arrange it in a particular order on a table according to ancestral rite laws. They’ll ritually bow to show respect for their ancestors before starting to eat. They may also make a point not to include certain foods in the meal.
Why don't Koreans eat peaches?
This is because traditional beliefs state that peaches will ward off ghosts. When Koreans are trying to honor their deceased loved ones, they don’t want to keep their spirits away.
What is the food called during Seollal?
During Seollal, food is part of a ritual that serves to honor a family’s ancestors. The rite is called charea. Korean families traditionally prepare a range of foods, including meat, fish, alcoholic beverages, and a rice cake soup known as tteokguk.
What are some good gifts for Seollal?
Other popular gifts for Seollal may include meat, fish, fruit, ginseng, honey, health products, massage chairs, toiletries (e.g., shampoo, soap, toothpaste), dried fish and hangwa (한과 – traditional Korean cookies). Alternatively, cash can also be a good gift for Koreans.
When is Seollal in the lunar calendar?
Seollal falls on the 1st day of the 1st month of the lunar calendar and family members and relatives get together to celebrate.
Why do Koreans wear Hanbok?
In my blog post dated 16 February 2015 on Hanbok (한복 – Korean traditional clothing), it is mentioned that Koreans wear Hanbok for important events like Seollal. On Seollal morning, Koreans put on their new Hanbok with bright and pretty colours to symbolize hopes for a bright future and go to their elders’ homes to celebrate this festival together.
What is the food of the Korean ritual?
The most important ritual food is tteokguk (떡국 – rice cake soup) and there are at least a dozen other dishes including fish, galbijjim (갈비찜 – braised short ribs), japchae (잡채 – sweet potato noodles with meat and vegetables), jeon (전 – Korean pancakes containing chopped vegetables), hangwa (한과 – Korean traditional cookies), fruits and other dishes made of various kinds of vegetables, meat and fish. Preparing the ritual food takes a lot of time and efforts and nowadays some people may use the holiday catering services. A Korean family is expected to spend around US$170 for charye.
How old do Koreans get when they eat tteokguk?
Koreans eat tteokguk with family members in the morning of Seollal. It is believed that one gets one year older by eating a bowl of tteokguk. The Koreans like to ask each other how many bowls of tteokguk they have eaten and joke about the number of years that they will get old.
When is Seollal 2021?
How do the Koreans celebrate Seollal (Lunar New Year’s Day)? 12 February 2021 is Seollal (설날 – the Lunar New Year’s Day), which is one of the important festivals in South Korea. Seollal falls on the 1st day of the 1st month of the lunar calendar and family members and relatives get together to celebrate.
What does "Happy Lunar New Year" mean in Korean?
In my blog post dated 5 January 2015 on how the Koreans celebrate the western New Year, it is mentioned that for “Happy New Year!”, the Koreans say, “새해 복 많이 받으세요.” – literally, it means, “Please receive a lot of luck or blessings in the New Year”. This can also be used for Seollal. If you wish to know how to pronounce it, please click the link to the Youtube video below:
What is Seollal?
There’s a really important part of the Korean wintertime and that’s Seollal 설날! Maybe you know it as Lunar or Chinese New Year, but as you also probably know, it’s not only celebrated in China. Lunar New Year is celebrated all over Asia with different countries having their own customs.
Traditions & Customs
For Seollal, most people pack their bags and head home to spend time with their family. Because Korea has a strict age hierarchy, you’re expected to greet your elders with a new year’s greeting called Saebae 새배. Saebae is essentially a formal bow and well-wishing to one’s parents and grandparents.
What Presents Should I Give?
Just like most holidays, giving gifts at Lunar New Year is expected. It’s normal to cook or buy rice cake soup, ddokguk 떡국, which is made from sliced rice cake, beef, egg and vegetables. If you eat ddokguk, people believe you’ll grow a year older. If you don’t, you’ll remain the same age.
Traditional Games
Of course, there are special games and traditions that people get together and play at this time of the year. The most popular one is yutnori 윷놀이, a board game that uses wooden sticks to move your pieces around the board. Click here for the rules.
Events Around Korea
While many of us are living in Seoul and there are so many event choices, you can find similar activities all over Korea. Here’s a list of some of the top destinations for Seollal. Check our your local city news for what’s happening!
What is the meaning of Seollal?
Seollal is a cultural holiday, which has its roots in traditional Chinese Confucianism and is celebrated on the first day of the Korean lunar calendar. It usually lasts three days — the day before Korean New Year, Korean New Year itself, and the day after Korean New Year. The “Book of Sui” and the “Book of Tang” have the first recorded histories ...
Why is Seollal a special holiday?
Give gifts. In addition to yummy food and family reunions, another reason that Seollal is a special holiday is the custom of giving and receiving gifts. This gift-giving extends beyond homes to workplaces when companies usually offer each of their employees a gift as well.
What is the significance of Silla in Korean New Year?
Silla is considered to be one of the three kingdoms of ancient Korea. Seollal first becomes a major Korean holiday during the reign of the Goryeo dynasty. After more than 100 years of peace, the kingdom is torn by conflicts in the 10th century.
Why do Koreans call their ancestors charye?
Koreans believe that their ancestors visit them on Seollal so they prepare special food to pay tribute to their ancestors and call this practice ‘charye.’
What are some traditional games that Koreans play?
Play folk games. We can also celebrate by participating in traditional folk games. Folk games are a major part of New Year festivities for Koreans. The most commonly played game is ‘Yut Nori,’ a traditional Korean board game.
What is the best way to celebrate Korean New Year?
Almost any large family gathering in any culture generally revolves largely around food. So an amazing way to celebrate Korean New Year is by eating Korean food. One main dish that is considered comfort food during Korean New Year is ‘Tteokguk’ (rice cake soup). This starchy and soothing bowl of soup is a beloved New Year's tradition.
What do Koreans believe about animals?
Koreans believe that the animal representing the year that a baby is born will attribute certain characters and qualities to that baby. There are even some parents who plan the birth year of their children in accordance with this belief.