Spotlight – Korean New Year

Korean New Year, ‘Seollal’, is a festival and national holiday commemorating the first day of the Korean calendar. The celebration usually lasts three days: the day before New Year, the New Year itself, and the day after. This year the New Year was on Tuesday 1 February. At TISB we have an amount of about 5% students from Korea. Most often, however, the Chinese New Year takes more place in the news. That is why we want to shine a light on the Korean New Year in this week’s Spotlight, and interviewed Jiyun, Shihoo and Gunho from Grade 5, and Yeonseo from Grade 4 about their experiences.  

It is one of the important traditional Korean holidays in South Korea – Jiyun, Grade 5 

Seollal refers to the Lunar New Year, and historically originates from the third century and the Chinese calendar being used in Korea at the time. Following when Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910, the Japanese calendar was adopted and the Korean New Year was suppressed. This was the case until liberation in 1945, and the Korean government officially re-established the Korean New Year as a national holiday in 1989.  

I celebrate Korean New Year by eating a Korean traditional food called 떡국 Tteok-guk (rice cake soup) – Yeonseo, Grade 4

Although customs vary across South Korea, the celebrations focus on paying respect, remembering a shared heritage, and looking forward to good fortunes in the year to come while having a fun time with family. “I think it’s very important, because all family members meet and make traditional Korean food in remembrance of the dead”, says Jiyun, whose family visits their extended family at their grandparents every year, traveling a long distance by train.

When families gather they celebrate and thank their ancestors by serving their spirits food and drink. “We celebrate Korean new year by doing our Korean-style ritual ceremony. We serve our ancestors spirits Korean food and Korean alcohol called ‘chung-ju'”, says Sihoo. “And also in the morning we say ‘happy new year’ to each other”, adds Yeonseo. Celebrating ancestors and the elders is rewarding in many ways. “After that we get money from them for bowing and wish them a happy New Year”, says Gunho, who after eating dumpling soup grows a year older according to Korean beliefs, and then says goodbye to his family and travels back home. 

Saehae bok mani badeusipsio! (Happy New Year!)