Seollal

Seollal (Korean: 설날) is the first day of the Korean lunar calendar, which is celebrated as the Korean New Year. It is one of the most significant traditional Korean holidays, along with Chuseok (the autumn harvest festival).

History

The history of Seollal dates back to the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC – 668 AD). It is believed that the holiday was originally associated with the worship of the sun, a practice that was prevalent in many ancient cultures.

Customs and Traditions

Seollal is a time for families to come together to perform ancestral rites, to pay respect to their ancestors, and to catch up with family members. The day is marked by performing an ancestral ritual called Charye in the morning, followed by Sebae, a deep formal bow of respect to the elders as a New Year greeting.

Traditional games such as Yut Nori, a board game played with four wooden sticks, and kite-flying are also popular activities during Seollal.

Food is an important part of Seollal. The most representative dish is Tteokguk, a soup with thinly sliced rice cakes, which is believed to grant a year of age and is thus traditionally eaten on Seollal.

Modern Celebrations

In modern times, Seollal is a public holiday in South Korea. Many Koreans dress up in colorful traditional Korean clothing called Hanbok. It is also a time for people to take part in traditional activities and games.

See Also

• Public holidays in South Korea
• Culture of Korea
• Korean cuisine