Seollal (설날) – Happy New Year, the Korean way
February 1 is the first day of the Korean Lunar Year 2022, which is the Tiger year, the year of vim, vigor and dreams coming true. The previous year 2021 was Ox year as per Korean Zodiac.
By Mr. Hwang Il-yong
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 on February 1, 2022, 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.
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：
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.
Charye (차례): Remembering and worshiping ancestors
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.
Traditional Food & Tteokguk (떡국):
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.
The writer is Director, Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI), and Culture & Press Attache (Counsellor), Embassy of the Republic of Korea, New Delhi
