Seollal Holiday is one of the most significant traditional holidays in South Korea, marking the lunar New Year. This festival is generally celebrated over a period of three days, which includes the day before, the day of, and the day after the New Year. It is a time of family gatherings, ancestral rites, and delicious food, bringing together Koreans from all walks of life to honor their past and celebrate their future.
Beginning the Seollal holiday, Koreans will start to prepare food for ancestral rites known as Charye. These rites are performed to show respect and appreciation to one’s ancestors. Another tradition followed during Seollal is Sebae, where the younger people in the family would perform a deep formal bow to the elders as a sign of respect and would be wishing them good fortune for the year ahead. The elders, in return, give blessing and a small sum of money to the younger ones.
Festivities of Seollal also include playing folk games like Yutnori, a traditional Korean board game with four wooden sticks, and kite flying. It also includes spinning tops and mask dances. Another popular and integral part of the Seollal celebration is the preparation and enjoyment of Tteokguk, a delicious soup made of sliced rice cakes. Eating a bowl of Tteokguk during Seollal symbolizes growing older and the start of the new year.