Lunar New Year(Seol, 설), Korean traditional holiday

Lunar New Year(Seol) is a traditional Korean holiday, a day to welcome the new year and spend special time with family and friends over a rich meal. Lunar New Year falls on January 1st every year according to the solar calendar, and consists of three days from January 1st to 3rd according to the lunar calendar.

---

On Seol, families gather together to eat traditional food and wish for a happy new year. Representative foods include rice cake soup, dumplings, pancakes, and rice cakes. In particular, rice cake soup is often eaten as a food symbolizing health and prosperity for the year, and families can be seen eating rice cake together, holding hands.

Before Seol, families carefully prepare food together, which is also a valuable time to strengthen family bonds. Additionally, family members exchange gifts with love and wishes for each other, creating precious moments of communication and anticipation of the new year.

rice cake soup(ddeock kuk, 떡국)

 

---

Additionally, many traditional games and games are played during Seol. You can have fun with your family by playing various games such as Yutnori, Jegichagi, and Armjjangnori. In particular, children can feel the joy of being with their family and share fun through these types of games.

Yutnory(윷놀이)

 

---

However, in modern society, in addition to the traditional meaning of Seol, Lunar New Year can also be a quiet time in the process of finding harmony with city life. In cities, many people are unable to go home from their hometowns, and it is difficult for most family members to take vacations at the same time, making family gatherings difficult.

 

 

However, Seol is still considered a day to spend precious time with family, and it still has great significance for Korean society as a whole. The feeling of ending the year and looking forward to a new year through Lunar New Year is deeply ingrained in Koreans, and is considered a precious holiday where tradition and modernity coexist.