![]() ![]() Seollal is three days long because it includes the first day of the new year, the day before and the day after. When a baby is born some Koreans believe that the baby will have certain qualities of the animal that represents that year (some are more flattering than others!) How long is the Korean New Year celebration? Each lunar year is represented by a different animal, with a cycle of 12 animals in total: mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Seollal is a quintessentially Korean tradition, but it was influenced by China, and is based on the lunar cycle. In 2021, Seollal was on 12 February and in 2022 it was on 1 February. Seollal follows the lunar calendar and falls on the first day. In 2023, it’ll land on 22 January and the celebrations will also include 21 January 21 and 23 January. ![]() Usually, it is sometime in January or February on the Western (solar) calendar. When Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, exactly happens, depends on the year. When is Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year? Traditions are very much kept alive and quality time with family is prized: story-telling and talking continue well into the night. The unwavering focus on family, the elderly and tradition is strongly respected and adhered to. But there is a different feel to this Korean holiday when compared to other countries festivities. This sounds like an idyllic Christmas day. And once you finish eating the soup, you become one year older.Īfter the food comes traditional Korean family games. The soup symbolises starting the new year with a clear mind and body. Tteokguk is served (wholesome rice cake soup). After the rituals, the children bow to their elders and receive gifts of money for the new year. The tables are laden with traditional foods. Once there they perform special rituals to thank their ancestors. Koreans often wear traditional clothes on the first morning of Seollal and go to visit elderly members of the family. Popular gifts include health products, money, traditional sweets, fruit, honey and ginseng and even foods like Korean beef and seafood! Mouth-watering, colourful dishes are prepared and gifts are bought and wrapped for family members. Koreans won’t just travel across their country but across the world if they can! Transport becomes busier than you’ll ever have seen before as Koreans travel home to spend Seollal with their families. Seollal is a three-day Korean cultural holiday and starts on the first day of the Korean lunar calendar every winter to celebrate the Korean Lunar New Year. Seollal exudes a magnetism which draws us in… What is Seollal? Perhaps it is the fact that Seollal marks a traditional celebration of growing a year older with a difference: after you’ve finished the specially prepared tteokguk soup you instantly grow one year older! Or perhaps it is the bell ringing, ceremonies, delectable food, vibrant clothes and traditional games. There is something magical about Seollal. And other celebrations happen at a later date, like the Korean Lunar New Year (Seollal). The Eunyul Talchum and Bukcheong Saja Noreums, both recognized as National Intangible Cultural Properties of Korea, are rooted in a folk belief that lions have the power to turn away evil spirits and bring peace.Some countries celebrate the new year starting on 1st January. Lunar New Year is also sometimes celebrated with talchum (Korea traditional mask dances), as depicted in today's Doodle artwork. The lunar new year is warmly welcomed with traditional foods such as tteokguk (rice cake soup), yakbap (sweet rice), japchae (glass noodle stir fry), and jeon (savory pancake). In Korean culture, the ox-symbolizing hard work, positivity, and fertile harvest-holds special significance as one of the animals that appears most frequently throughout the nation’s traditional proverbs. This Lunar New Year marks the official transition out of the Year of the Rat–believed to be one of constant change–and into the Year of the Ox, which is traditionally associated with things moving at a more slow and steady pace. Today’s Doodle celebrates the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar-officially starting the Year of the Ox! Korean New Year, Seollal, marks a time to honor ancestors and look forward to prosperity in the year ahead.
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