![]() The earliest attestations of the festivals and customs surrounding Seollal are found in the Dongyi section of Volume 30 of the Book of Wei (魏書 東夷傳), of the contempotary Chinese historical work called the Records of the Three Kingdoms (三國志). Literal translationĬelebratory banners in Seoul Adaptation to the Chinese calendar While Korean New Year is generally referred to as Seollal, it has been called by many other names. Gregorian new year on 1 January), also known as Sinjeong ( 신정 新正). 'Seollal' may also refer to Yangnyeok Seollal (Korean: 양력 설날 Hanja: 陽曆설날 lit. "solar new year" i.e. 'Seollal' generally refers to Eumnyeok Seollal ( Korean: 음력 설날 Hanja: 陰曆설날 lit. "lunar new year", also known as 'Gujeong' (Korean: 구정 Hanja: 舊正)). In such a case, the New Year falls on the third new moon after the solstice. Seollal generally occurs in January or February on the second new moon after the winter solstice, unless there is an intercalary eleventh or twelfth month in the lead-up to the New Year. One of the most well known practices in the current day is receiving money from their elders after performing a formal bow, a tradition likely adopted from Confucian customs. China and Japan use different terms for their respective new years, such as 正月 or 元日, which are derived from Classical Chinese.ĭuring this time, many Koreans would visit their family, perform ancestral rites, wear the hanbok (한복, 韓服) / Chosŏn-ot (조선옷, 朝鮮옷), eat traditional food and play traditional folk games. The Korean lunisolar calendar, like most other East Asian calendars such as that of Japan, Mongolia, Vietnam, among others, are all derived from historical variants of Chinese ones such as the Shixian calendar of the Ming dynasty. The Hanja term won-il (月日) is used, when referring to the date of the lunar new year of the Korean calendar itself. Nal 날 means day in Korean, derived from Old Korean *NAl. The modern Korean word for "age" – sal is derived from the same origin as seol. Seol, written as (설) in Middle Korean in Hangul, means "year of age" since it's also the date when Koreans grow a year older. It is one of the most important traditional holidays for ethnic Koreans, being celebrated in both North Korea and South Korea as well as Korean diaspora all around the world. ![]() Presented in a beautiful and colorful pouch, the gift has deep meaning for South Koreans.Seollal ( Korean: 설날 RR: Seollal MR: Sŏllal) is a traditional festival and national holiday commemorating the first day of the lunisolar calendar. After sebae, the children receive ‘sebaetdon’ or New Year’s money as a gift from their elders. While performing the ritual, one must wear ‘hanbok’. This deep traditional bow signifies respect. Younger people must bow deeply to their elders and wish them a happy new year. It is the act of kneeling on the ground and bowing deeply so that your hands are also on the ground. In South Korea, the clear broth and white rice cakes of tteokguk are believed to symbolize starting out the year with a clean mind and body.Īnother important ritual that is followed is called ‘sebae’. Another very common dish is ‘ddeokguk’ or rice cake soup which, though eaten throughout the year, carries special significance on Seollal. Though the food prepared for the ceremony of charye differs by region, the most common varieties are rice, soup, meat, seafood, liquor, fruit and vegetables. Then the family gets together for a ceremony called ‘eumbok’ where they eat the food blessed by the ancestors, allowing them to start the new year with many blessings and prosperity. ![]() Charye involves the preparation of food by female relatives and the serving of food to ancestors by male relatives. One of the most important rituals performed during this auspicious occasion is called ‘charye’. It is also considered respectful for people to visit their mothers and fathers-in-law during the Korean New Year. Often, the family members first visit the elders, and this includes the grandparents and the parents. Since it is one of the few times families may be able to get together and catch up on one another's lives, it is considered respectful and important to attend the holiday. Many Koreans travel from overseas to visit their families for this annual holiday. Compared to Chuseok, Seollal carries more importance as it is treated as a holiday to spend with their family members in their hometown.
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