Feb 10: Happy New Year? Yes it’s Happy SEOLLAL (설날) for Koreans, Chūn Jié (春節) for Chinese in 2024

NEW DELHI: February 10 in the year 2024 is the first day of the Chinese Lunar Year 2024, which also marks the onset of the Spring festival that is being celebrated in South & North Korea, and Taiwan, the Republic of China, and other places across the world by these nationalities. Other East Asian nations such as the Japan celebrate the new year as per the English calendar, which is January 1 as they don’t follow the Chinese Zodiac pattern anymore.

Koreans call it ‘SEOLLAL’ (설날) while Taiwanese ‘Chūn Jié’ (春節). On this auspicious day, Koreans greet each other using words 새해 복 많이 받으세요 (saehae bog manh-i bad-euseyo), which means ‘Please receive a lot of luck in the new year’. Chinese do it by saying Xīn Nián Kuài Lè 新年快樂 (happy new year). Taiwanese or Chinese also use Happy New Year! (xīn nián kuài lè), Wish you happiness and prosperity! ( gōng xǐ fā cái) or Good luck and big profit ! (dà jí dà lì).

The year 2024 is the year of Wood Dragon – the only mythical creature among the 12 Chinese zodiac signs. It represents positive qualities such as power, strength, good luck, and wisdom, and is considered a celestial and divine creature, with the ability to control natural elements such as wind and water.

The Year of the Dragon is anticipated to bring auspicious opportunities and exciting advancements for all. Those born under the dragon sign are reputed for their innovative thinking and inquisitive nature, and often flourish in their professional pursuits.

Previous year 2023 was the year of rabbit, the year of friendship, peace and tranquility. The new year fell on January 22 last year. On lunar calendar, each year is named after one of the 12 animals in the traditional zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.

According to Hwang Il-yong, Director, Korean Cultural Centre in India, Seollal (설날) is one of the most important traditional festivals in South Korea. This special holiday commemorates the first day of the Korean Lunar Calendar with the hope and greeting for the new year.

“In India we celebrate various festivals like Diwali to bring the family  together, likewise in Korean families, Seollal is celebrated with family so that those who were apart the whole year come closer again and spend time together. The holiday takes place in the span of several days and is marked by the gathering of family members, performing Korean rituals relating to the wish for the new year, eating traditional foods, playing folk games, and other traditional activities,” he said.

The Spring Festival in Taiwan, also known as the first day of Lunar New Year is the most popular festival in Chinese speaking community all over the world. It usually starts form December 16th of lunar calendar, so-called year-end banquet, and ends in the Lantern Festival on the 15th of the first month of lunar calendar, lasting one month long. The first date of the Spring Festival this year is on February 10 in the year 2024.

Peters LY Chen, Director, Education Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in India, says, “Owners of companies and business prepare a Year-end banquet for staff to appreciate their efforts of the whole year. On December 24th people will send off the kitchen god back to the god of Jade Emperor which is called “farewell to stove god” activities. Traditionally, every house has a fairly large stove. According to legend, stove god is assigned on January 4 every year by the Jade Emperor to every house to monitor the words and deeds of each family, until December 24 to report his duty back to heaven to the Jade Emperor. The report is regarding the various good and bad behaviors of the family members.”

In Korea, the representative culture for Seollal includes Sebae 세배 (New Year’s Bow), Charye (차례) Remembering and worshiping ancestors, and Traditional Food & Tteokguk (떡국).

Sebae 세배, the New Year’s Bow is just like India puts great respect in their elders, Korea also has a long tradition of starting the New Year (by the lunar calendar) with the deep traditional bows made to elders. Dressed in traditional clothing called “Hanbok (한복)”, people wish their elders a happy new year by performing a traditional bow and saying the words ‘Saehae bok mani badeuseyo’ (새해 복 많이 받으세요, “Please receive a lot of good fortune for the New Year”.) Then, the elders typically reward this gesture by giving New Year’s gift money to their juniors.

Another important tradition is 차례 (charye). Charye is the term used for describing the worshiping of one’s ancestors during the Lunar New Year. Food is set out on a table as a gift for one’s ancestors, behind which are the family’s ancestral tablets. People perform deep bows to these tablets in order to show respect to their ancestors. This tradition is still performed by many Koreans but it isn’t quite as widespread as the other Seollal traditions.

Korean people celebrate Lunar New Year’s Day (Seol or Seollal), with a special festival dish called tteokguk (떡국) or rice cake soup. They believe they can grow one year older after consuming a bowl of rice cake soup on the first day of the Lunar year.

In Taiwan, the Republic of China, on Lunar New Year’s Eve, one of the most important dates of the New Year customs in Taiwan, people start the year-end worship ceremony in the afternoon.

According to Peters Chen, Director, Education Division, TECC in India, people prepare the five offerings, and a variety of cakes to worship gods located in the offering table, and then paying respects to ancestors, expressing his/her thanks to the gods and ancestors for blessing this year, meanwhile, pray for good fortune in the coming New Year. Finally, they burn gold papers, set off firecrackers, considering as the end of the ceremony. At the same time, many temples have traditional puppet show or drama to the gods.

Family members have to rush back home to get together on this eve. The family reunion dinner taking place on Lunar New Year’s Eve is all about gathering together with your family to have the heartiest meal of the year. Traditionally, in the past, people set an oven under the table to keep it warmer. Every dish has a symbolic meaning. For example, people eat “mustard green” (means longevity) and homonym “leeks” (means forever). They must eat from root to the tail as a whole and cannot bite or cut off. Also, having radish means good luck because of the pronunciation in Chinese. Parents and grandparents put money in small, especially-made red envelopes beforehand, and give the red envelopes (lucky money) to their kids after the New Year`s Feast or when children come to say Happy New Year.

During the Spring Festival, every family pastes the Spring Festival couplets on their doors to express sincere blessings and good wishes. People will go to temples to pray for good fortunate on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Be prepared to hear the sound of firecrackers for the whole first day of the Lunar New Year. The married daughter would visit her parents on the second day of the Lunar New Year. It is said that people often get into arguments on the third day of the Lunar New Year. Therefore, it is better to have sound sleeping and get up very late. People would prepare lots of food, fruits, and candies on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year to welcome the Gods and Goddesses. Each date has different ritual and meaning according to lunar calendar until the 15th day of January, the Lantern Festival. Taiwanese government holds Lantern Festival in different city every year in a big way. In 2024, it will be in Taipei city.