What Is Korean New Year’s Holiday?
The Korean New Year’s Holiday, universally known as Seollal (설날), is one of the most significant traditional holidays in South Korea. It marks the first day of the first month of the lunisolar calendar. This holiday is deeply rooted in Korean culture, emphasising family unity, respect for elders, and remembrance of ancestors.
Seollal is a three-day public holiday in South Korea, allowing ample time for people to travel to their hometowns, engage in ceremonial practices, and spend quality time with relatives. It is a period of widespread travel and celebration across the nation, fostering a strong sense of community and heritage.
During this period, families perform ancestral rites, wear traditional clothing, exchange greetings, and partake in special foods and folk games. The observance reflects a profound connection to historical customs and the agricultural rhythms that once governed Korean society.
History and Origins of Korean New Year’s Holiday
The origins of Seollal can be traced back to ancient agrarian societies in Korea, where the lunar calendar dictated planting and harvesting cycles. The first new moon of the year was a natural marker for renewal and setting intentions for the upcoming year’s harvest. Historical records suggest that celebrations similar to Seollal have been observed for over a thousand years, evolving through various Korean dynasties.
Early references to New Year’s observances appear in historical texts from the Three Kingdoms period (1st century BCE – 7th century CE), indicating its long-standing cultural importance. During the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties, Seollal became a firmly established national holiday, with specific rituals and customs formalised. These included ancestral veneration, respectful greetings to elders, and festive communal meals.
While South Korea officially adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1896, the traditional lunisolar New Year, Seollal, continued to hold prominence as the primary holiday for ancestral rites and family gatherings. Its enduring significance underscores the strong cultural values of filial piety and communal bonds that remain central to Korean identity. The holiday’s continuity demonstrates a resilience of tradition against the backdrop of modernisation.
How Korean New Year’s Holiday Is Celebrated
The Korean New Year’s Holiday is primarily a family-centred occasion marked by several distinct traditions and customs. These observances are carefully followed, reflecting cultural values and historical practices.
A central activity is the journey to ancestral hometowns, known as Gwi-seong, which leads to one of the largest annual migrations in the country. Families gather, often wearing new traditional Korean attire called hanbok or special new clothes known as seolbim, to signify a fresh start to the year.
The first morning of Seollal begins with Charye, an ancestral remembrance ceremony. This involves preparing a table with various dishes as offerings to ancestors, followed by formal bows. This ritual expresses gratitude and respect for family lineage. After Charye, younger family members perform Sehbae, a deep bow to their elders, wishing them good health and fortune. In return, elders offer deokdam (words of blessing) and often sebaetdon (money in a white envelope) to the children.
Food plays a crucial role in Seollal celebrations. The most iconic dish is Tteokguk, a soup made with thinly sliced rice cakes. Eating Tteokguk is believed to symbolise gaining another year of age and is central to the holiday’s culinary customs. Other festive foods include galbi-jjim (braised short ribs), japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), and various types of jeon (savoury pancakes). Families also enjoy hangwa, traditional Korean confections.
Traditional folk games are also a significant part of the celebration. Popular games include Yunnori, a board game played with sticks, Gonggi, a game played with small stones, and kite flying. These activities provide entertainment and foster intergenerational bonding during the holiday period.
When Is Korean New Year’s Holiday?
The Korean New Year’s Holiday is a variable date observance because it follows the lunisolar calendar, specifically the first day of the first lunar month. Consequently, its date in the Gregorian calendar fluctuates each year.
Typically, Seollal falls in late January or early to mid-February. The holiday period in South Korea is a three-day public holiday, encompassing the day of the new moon, the day before, and the day after, allowing families ample time for travel and ceremonial observances.
For example, recent and upcoming dates for the Korean New Year’s Holiday (Seollal) include:
- 2023: 22 January
- 2024: 10 February
- 2025: 29 January
The exact date is determined by astronomical calculations of the new moon, which initiates the first lunar month. This calendar system is shared with several other East Asian cultures for their respective New Year celebrations.
Korean New Year’s Holiday Key Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public Holiday |
| Date | Variable (first day of the first lunar month) |
| Countries | 1 (South Korea) |
| Also known as | Seollal (설날), Lunar New Year |
| Calendar system | Lunisolar |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Seollal and the Gregorian New Year?
Seollal is the Korean New Year observed according to the lunisolar calendar, typically falling in late January or February. The Gregorian New Year, celebrated on 1 January, is also observed in Korea, but Seollal holds deeper cultural and traditional significance with its specific customs and family observances.
What do Koreans typically eat during Seollal?
The most iconic dish for Seollal is *Tteokguk*, a soup made with sliced rice cakes. Eating *Tteokguk* is believed to add a year to a person's age. Other traditional foods include *jeon* (savoury pancakes), *galbi-jjim* (braised short ribs), and various *hangwa* (traditional Korean confections).
What is 'Sehbae'?
*Sehbae* is a traditional custom performed during Seollal where younger family members bow deeply to their elders as a sign of respect and to wish them good health and fortune for the new year. In return, elders often offer blessings (*deokdam*) and sometimes small gifts of money (*sebaetdon*) to the children.