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| Ceremonial Table |
Seollal, Korean Lunar New Year, is a celebration
which marks the first day of the Lunar Calendar.. This day is one of Korea’s most important national
holidays of the year, and this year’s Seollal falls on January 31st,
2014. Families and friends get together
to wish loved ones a happy and prosperous new year. It is truly a special occasion greatly
celebrated among Koreans.
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| Traditional Hanbok Pouch |
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| Hanbok |
Seollal is an opportunity for families to
get together and enjoy each other’s company by paying respect to ancestors,
playing folk games, eating delicious traditional foods, and dressing up in
hanboks (traditional clothes).
Charye is the first ceremony that takes
place on Seollal. It consists of
preparing the ceremonial table with extravagant food and fruits to honor the
family’s ancestors. Families and
relatives take turns bowing to the ritual foods to pay their respect to their
deceased ancestors and well-being for the new year.
This is followed by the Sebae which is the
ritual of the younger generation expressing respect to their elders by taking a
deep bow and presenting them with gifts.
The elders offer their blessings and good luck by giving each person “sebae
money” as a small gift. The young always
look forward to getting this extra money during Seollal.
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| Tteokguk |
Once the rituals are finished, it is time
to eat the food! The main dish of
Seollal is tteokguk, a traditional rice cake soup consisting of beef, eggs, and
vegetables. It is traditional saying in
Korea that one must eat tteokguk on Seollal to add a year to one’s age.
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| Seollal Activities |
After the meal, families engage in a more
casual time which includes fun activities or relaxing after the hearty
feast. The most common activity played
on Seollal is yutnori, a traditional board game that involves throwing four
wooden sticks. Some families visit
historical sites such as Gyeongbokgunk and Namsangol Hanok Village that host
traditional Korean events for Seollal.
Whatever you do, Seollal is a great and cultural celebration that has
important meaning in Korea.
If you want more information on Seollal and the Lunar Calendar, visit www.visitseoul.net
| You can find more information on Seoul Tourism at Visit Seoul
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