Happy Korean New Year! Celebrating the New Year is a serious matter for Koreans. So much so that we often celebrate it twice a year – first on the Gregorian calendar New Year’s Day and second on the Lunar New Year’s Day. I still remember clearly celebrating this day back in Korea when I was a boy. Here are 5 top highlights of the day that Korean families all over the world still look forward to on Seollal. Try one or try them all this year, even if it’s just on Zoom.
Author : Lee Hye-Jun
January 1st
Happy Korean New Year! Celebrating the New Year is a serious matter for Koreans. So much so that we often celebrate it twice a year – first on the Gregorian calendar New Year’s Day and second on the Lunar New Year’s Day. I still remember clearly celebrating this day back in Korea when I was a boy. Here are 5 top highlights of the day that Korean families all over the world still look forward to on Seollal. Try one or try them all this year, even if it’s just on Zoom.
1. WEAR HANBOK
Getting dressed up in flamboyant traditional Korean clothes called “Hanbok” is great fun on New Year’s Day. Hanbok is worn quite baggy, so size rarely matters in wearing old hanbok or borrowing relatives’ clothes.
Koreans have a tradition called “seol bim” which entails donning new clothes on New Year’s day. So if you don’t have hanbok, try wearing something brand new to get into the spirit of making a fresh start.
2. SEBAE
The most important custom on this day! We do sebae (the big bow all the way down to the ground to the point of prostrating ourselves) to our parents and other elder victims, saying “Saehae bok mahnhee bahdeuh saeyo!” (“May you be blessed with a lot of luck and fortune in the New Year!”). The elders then give us cash as well as a New Year blessing in return to each. Those kids who have a lot of older relatives often make a fortune on this day! Our adult kids still observe this custom whenever possible.
Sebae: 8 Things You May Not Know About This Unique Korean New Year Tradition
Seollal (lunar new year’s day) is one of the largest holidays in Korea. There are many wonderful Seollal traditions to experience such as eating delicious tteokguk, wearing hanbok, and playing games like yutnori, but perhaps the one tradition that is most loved and easiest to try is sebae, the unique Korean bow.
What is sebae? Sebae is a kind of bowing that dates back thousands of years to before the Joseon Dynasty, and is performed as an act of showing respect to one’s elders. Although Korean people bow to each other every day as a general greeting, the large bow, or keun jeol is reserved for only the most special of occasions, and when performed on New Year’s day, it is called sebae.
Sebae is a beloved tradition that is never too late to start in your household. Although details don’t matter as much as the thought and spirit, some readers may be interested in some lesser-known interesting facts about sebae.
Author : Hanyoo Park
February 14
Valentine’s Day is celebrated a little differently all around the world and Korea is no exception. Valentine’s Day is a big deal in Korea but it’s very different than what you might experience in the Western world. In fact, lovers in Korea have 12 opportunities each year to celebrate and express their feelings.
Korean Valentine’s Day is on February 14, but this day is reserved for the woman to give chocolates and gifts to her man or her crush, not the other way around. Korean men can express their love by giving candies and gifts to their women or crushes on White Day, March 14th.
America’s only romance holiday is Valentine’s Day so we have to make this day very special to our significant others. But Koreans celebrate romantic holidays every 14th of the month. Valentine’s Day and White Day are the most popular and the most celebrated love holidays but there are ten other days that are devoted to love.
August 15
August 15 is the National Liberation Day of Korea and is a very important public holiday in Korea. This day is called Gwangbokjeol in Korean and literally translated, it means “Restoration of Light Day”. Gwangbokjeol celebrates the victory over Japan which liberated Korea from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule on August 15, 1945. It is the only holiday shared by the both North Korea and South Korea.
Citizens are encouraged to hang the the Korean national flag, the Taegeukgi, outside their homes. Many activities and events take place on this holiday, including an official ceremony attended by the President of Korea at the Independence Hall in Cheonan or at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. The official Gwangbokjeol song is sung at official ceremonies.
This year, the Denny Taegukgi, the oldest surviving Taegukgi, is officially being designated as a national treasure by Korea’s Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA). The Korea Times reports that the Denny Taegukgi is believed to have been created in 1890 or earlier, and was owned by Owen Nickerson Denny (1838-1900), an American who worked as one of the principal diplomatic advisers for King Gojong. In 1981, the flag was donated back to Korea by one of Denny’s descendants and is now stored in the National Museum of Korea.
Author : Michelle Jimin Lee
August 15 (Lunar)
Chuseok 2023 is on September 29! Check off the list for food, family, and fun
What is Chuseok? Korean Chuseok (추석), also known as Hangawi, is one of the two main holidays on the peninsula, and it’s a very big deal. Considered Korean Thanksgiving, it is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar which generally comes during either September or October. Chuseok 2023 falls on September 29th but the general holiday will take place from September 28th to 30th.
The holiday originates from a mythological Buddhist folklore about a moon rabbit that promotes virtues of fertility, longevity, and harvest. Chuseok translates to “Autumn Eve” and it is a 3-day national holiday celebrated in both North and South Korea, as well as by Koreans around the world.
Korean Chuseok is a festival that celebrates the beginning of the harvest and a lot of food and drink is prepared! It is celebrated throughout the world mainly with extensive family time, fun games, and of course, good, glorious food.
On the morning of Chuseok, family members will come together, traditionally at the home of the eldest son, a place called kun jip (literally translated as the Big House). Because of the large gathering and the great feasting that takes place, preparation for Chuseok used to be a weeks-long and labor-intensive undertaking for the kun myuneuri, or eldest daughter-in-law.
October 3
October 3 on the Gregorian calendar is Gaecheonjeol (개천절), or National Foundation Day. Gaecheonjeol literally means “the day on which the Heaven opens”, and is also known as Korea’s birthday.
This holiday celebrates the legendary formation of the first Korean state of Gojoseon in 2333 BC and this date has traditionally been regarded as the date of the founding of the Korean people.
Hwanung (환웅), son of the Lord of Heaven, Hwanin (환인), wished to live on the earth to improve the welfare of mankind and descended from Heaven with 3,000 followers on Mount Taebaek on the Korean Peninsula in 2457 B.C. With the help of the gods of clouds, wind and rain, he improved many aspects of human life including agriculture, health, and the everyday welfare of people.
At that time, a tiger and a bear prayed to Hwanung to let them become human beings. Hwanung told them to keep themselves from the sunlight in a cave for 100 days and eat only mugwort and garlic during that period. The tiger soon gave up and left the cave, but the bear persevered and was transformed into a woman. Later, the bear-woman became Hwanung’s wife and gave birth to a son called Dangun Wanggeom (단군왕검).
January 1st
Author : Lee Hye-Jun
Happy Korean New Year! Celebrating the New Year is a serious matter for Koreans. So much so that we often celebrate it twice a year – first on the Gregorian calendar New Year’s Day and second on the Lunar New Year’s Day. I still remember clearly celebrating this day back in Korea when I was a boy. Here are 5 top highlights of the day that Korean families all over the world still look forward to on Seollal. Try one or try them all this year, even if it’s just on Zoom.
Getting dressed up in flamboyant traditional Korean clothes called “Hanbok” is great fun on New Year’s Day. Hanbok is worn quite baggy, so size rarely matters in wearing old hanbok or borrowing relatives’ clothes.
Koreans have a tradition called “seol bim” which entails donning new clothes on New Year’s day. So if you don’t have hanbok, try wearing something brand new to get into the spirit of making a fresh start.
The most important custom on this day! We do sebae (the big bow all the way down to the ground to the point of prostrating ourselves) to our parents and other elder victims, saying “Saehae bok mahnhee bahdeuh saeyo!” (“May you be blessed with a lot of luck and fortune in the New Year!”). The elders then give us cash as well as a New Year blessing in return to each. Those kids who have a lot of older relatives often make a fortune on this day! Our adult kids still observe this custom whenever possible.
Seollal (Lunar New Year’s day) is one of the largest holidays in Korea. There are many wonderful Seollal traditions to experience such as eating delicious tteokguk, wearing hanbok, and playing games like yutnori, but perhaps the one tradition that is most loved and easiest to try is sebae, the unique Korean bow.
What is sebae? Sebae is a kind of bowing that dates back thousands of years to before the Joseon Dynasty, and is performed as an act of showing respect to one’s elders. Although Korean people bow to each other every day as a general greeting, the large bow, or keun jeol is reserved for only the most special of occasions, and when performed on new year’s day, it is called sebae.
Sebae is a beloved tradition that is never too late to start in your household. Although details don’t matter as much as the thought and spirit, some readers may be interested in some lesser-known interesting facts about sebae.
February 14
Author : Hanyoo Park
Valentine’s Day is celebrated a little differently all around the world and Korea is no exception. Valentine’s Day is a big deal in Korea but it’s very different than what you might experience in the Western world. In fact, lovers in Korea have 12 opportunities each year to celebrate and express their feelings.
Korean Valentine’s Day is on February 14, but this day is reserved for the woman to give chocolates and gifts to her man or her crush, not the other way around. Korean men can express their love by giving candies and gifts to their women or crushes on White Day, March 14th.
America’s only romance holiday is Valentine’s Day so we have to make this day very special to our significant others. But Koreans celebrate romantic holidays every 14th of the month. Valentine’s Day and White Day are the most popular and the most celebrated love holidays but there are ten other days that are devoted to love.
August 15
August 15 is the National Liberation Day of Korea and is a very important public holiday in Korea. This day is called Gwangbokjeol in Korean and literally translated, it means “Restoration of Light Day”. Gwangbokjeol celebrates the victory over Japan which liberated Korea from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule on August 15, 1945. It is the only holiday shared by the both North Korea and South Korea.
Citizens are encouraged to hang the the Korean national flag, the Taegeukgi, outside their homes. Many activities and events take place on this holiday, including an official ceremony attended by the President of Korea at the Independence Hall in Cheonan or at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. The official Gwangbokjeol song is sung at official ceremonies.
This year, the Denny Taegukgi, the oldest surviving Taegukgi, is officially being designated as a national treasure by Korea’s Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA). The Korea Times reports that the Denny Taegukgi is believed to have been created in 1890 or earlier, and was owned by Owen Nickerson Denny (1838-1900), an American who worked as one of the principal diplomatic advisers for King Gojong. In 1981, the flag was donated back to Korea by one of Denny’s descendants and is now stored in the National Museum of Korea.
August 15 (Lunar)
Author : Michelle Jimin Lee
What is Chuseok? Korean Chuseok (추석), also known as Hangawi, is one of the two main holidays on the peninsula, and it’s a very big deal. Considered Korean Thanksgiving, it is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar which generally comes during either September or October. Chuseok 2022 falls on September 10th (Saturday) but the general holiday will take place from September 9th to 12th (Friday to Monday).
The holiday originates from a mythological Buddhist folklore about a moon rabbit that promotes virtues of fertility, longevity, and harvest. Chuseok translates to “Autumn Eve” and it is a 3-day national holiday celebrated in both North and South Korea, as well as by Koreans around the world.
Korean Chuseok is a festival that celebrates the beginning of the harvest and a lot of food and drink is prepared! It is celebrated throughout the world mainly with extensive family time, fun games, and of course, good, glorious food.
On the morning of Chuseok, family members will come together, traditionally at the home of the eldest son, a place called kun jip (literally translated as the Big House). Because of the large gathering and the great feasting that takes place, preparation for Chuseok used to be a weeks-long and labor-intensive undertaking for the kun myuneuri, or eldest daughter-in-law.
October 3
October 3 on the Gregorian calendar is Gaecheonjeol (개천절), or National Foundation Day. Gaecheonjeol literally means “the day on which the Heaven opens”, and is also known as Korea’s birthday.
This holiday celebrates the legendary formation of the first Korean state of Gojoseon in 2333 BC and this date has traditionally been regarded as the date of the founding of the Korean people.
Hwanung (환웅), son of the Lord of Heaven, Hwanin (환인), wished to live on the earth to improve the welfare of mankind and descended from Heaven with 3,000 followers on Mount Taebaek on the Korean Peninsula in 2457 B.C. With the help of the gods of clouds, wind and rain, he improved many aspects of human life including agriculture, health, and the everyday welfare of people.
At that time, a tiger and a bear prayed to Hwanung to let them become human beings. Hwanung told them to keep themselves from the sunlight in a cave for 100 days and eat only mugwort and garlic during that period. The tiger soon gave up and left the cave, but the bear persevered and was transformed into a woman. Later, the bear-woman became Hwanung’s wife and gave birth to a son called Dangun Wanggeom (단군왕검).
