Korean New Year Traditions Significance of 설날 Seollal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Korean New Year Traditions Significance of 설날 Seollal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.joongboo.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=363575334

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year! New Year always symbolizes the new start of your life and starts some changes out of it.

 

Just like the Chinese New Year in China, South Korea has a Korean new year pronounced as Seollal 설날, the Korean New Year.

 

At the core of these celebrations lies 떡국 (tteokguk), a symbolic dish that not only tantalizes the taste buds but also embodies the hopes and dreams of a prosperous year ahead.

 

Let’s dive into Seollal!

 

The Korean New year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://news.kbs.co.kr/news/pc/view/view.do?ncd=5116563

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seollal is the Korean Lunar New Year when families come together to celebrate the beginning of a new lunar calendar.

 

This significant holiday typically falls between late January and mid-February, marking a time for reflection, renewal, and bonding with loved ones.

 

Seollal is characterized by various customs and rituals, with 떡국 serving as a culinary centerpiece during these joyous celebrations.

 

 

 

 

 

https://blog.naver.com/cjstar1/220918926273?viewType=pc

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Seollal approaches, households across Korea begin to prepare cooking for tteokguk(떡국), a soup laden with cultural significance.

 

The dish features garaetteok, thinly sliced rice cakes, swimming in a broth crafted from ingredients like beef, quail, or chicken.

 

What sets tteokguk(떡국) apart is not just its delicious taste but also the deep symbolism it carries.

 

The choice of white color of rice cakes in tteokguk represents purity and the desire for a bright and fresh start in the new year.

 

The elongation of the rice cakes into cylindrical shapes symbolizes the wish for prosperity, mirroring the belief that as the rice cakes stretch, so will one's wealth in the coming year.

 

So the Korean people traditionally believed that eating tteokguk makes you properly aged.

 

It is the reason why Korean people eat Tteokguk during Seollal.

 

To face the new year and new themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=hanurimom&logNo=221204894025

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seollal is also a time for families to reunite, pay respects to ancestors, and engage in various customs.

 

One of the most cherished traditions is the 세배 (sebae) ritual, where younger family members bow to their elders, offering well wishes for health and prosperity.

 

Older members give off some money called Sebatdon (새뱃돈) It's like receiving money on the first day of the New Year with a positive message: use it well and enjoy it, but also, it emphasizes not to spend it inappropriately.

 

In fact, before the Lunar New Year, there's a high demand for exchanging new bills at banks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0002082912

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those fortunate enough to experience Seollal in Korea, enjoying oneself in these traditions provides a profound cultural encounter.

 

Joining a family for a 떡국 meal, witnessing the 세배 ritual, and embracing the festive atmosphere offer the Korean warmth and togetherness that define Seollal.

 

 

 

 

Seollal is more than just a date on the calendar; it's a cultural tapestry woven with traditions that reflect the heart and soul of Korea.

 

떡국, with its rich flavors and symbolic meanings, beckons you to partake in this beautiful celebration of family, renewal, and the anticipation of a brighter year ahead.

 

As Seollal is approaching, we stay14 wish you have a great new year and taste some Tteokguk!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#Seollal #설날 #KoreanNewYears #NewYears #HappyNewYears #KoreanNewYearsHoliday #KoreanNewYearsCulture #KoreanDishes #떡국 #설날떡국

 

 

 

 

 

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