KOREAN NEW YEAR

Korean New Year, Seollal , is also celebrated according to the lunar calendar. It is a time full of unique traditions and customs that reflect South Korea's rich culture. One of the most characteristic aspects of the celebration is visiting family and dressing in hanbok, the traditional Korean dress. During this time, families gather to enjoy traditional foods such as songpyeon, jeon, and tteokguk. Tteokguk, a rice cake soup, in particular, has symbolic meaning - when eaten on New Year's Eve, it symbolizes growing older by another year, which is a unique feature of Korean culture.

GAMES AND FUN FOR THE NEW YEAR

In Seollal, Koreans also engage in traditional folk games that connect generations. Among the most popular are yutnori, a simple stick game, tuho, an ancient throwing game originally popular among royalty and the upper classes, and neolttwigi, a type of seesaw, especially favored by girls. These games not only provide entertainment, but also strengthen family and social ties.

KOREAN TRADITION

An important element of the celebration is charye, a memorial service dedicated to ancestors. This carefully prepared ceremony, in which the entire family participates, is intended to honor ancestors and emphasize the importance of remembering them in Korean culture. Interestingly, some foods are forbidden in the offering to ancestors, which further emphasizes the importance and specificity of this tradition.

At the end of the Seollal celebration, children show respect to their elders by making a sebae, a ceremonial bow, and in return receive money and words of wisdom. During this time, adults also exchange gifts, which is often associated with numerous promotions in stores and shopping malls. All this makes the Korean New Year not only a time for celebration, but also an opportunity to express respect, gratitude and cherish traditions.