Festivals

Date:New Year’s Day is a traditional festival of the Korean ethnic group, usually celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month. It marks the beginning of the new year and is one of the most important traditional festivals of the Korean ethnic group.

Overview:New Year’s Day (Korean) is an important festival in the traditional culture of the Korean ethnic group, celebrating the arrival of the new year. This festival usually lasts for three days, during which family members will get together and carry out various celebrations, including worshiping ancestors, wearing traditional costumes, preparing sumptuous New Year’s Eve meals, paying New Year’s greetings, giving red envelopes, etc. New Year’s Day is not only a time for family reunion, but also a time to pay respect to elders and ancestors.

Origin of New Year’s Day

As a traditional festival of the Korean ethnic group, New Year’s Day has a similar origin to the Chinese Spring Festival, based on the celebration of the Lunar New Year. Koreans have had the custom of celebrating the Spring Festival since ancient times, celebrating the harvest and the hopes and wishes for the new year. Unlike the traditional Chinese Spring Festival, the Korean New Year’s Day has some unique customs, especially the ancestor worship ceremony and traditional food.

The celebration of the Korean New Year’s Day is closely related to its farming culture. Through this festival, people not only celebrate the harvest of the year, but also hope to get more good luck and blessings in the new year.

Main Activities of the New Year’s Day

• Wearing Traditional Clothing:During the New Year’s Day, Korean people will wear traditional hanbok (also known as “한복”). This clothing is characterized by bright colors and exquisite embroidery. Wearing traditional clothing is a way to show respect to ancestors and gods, and it is also a cultural manifestation of family reunion.
• Ancestor worship activities:The ancestor worship ceremony on New Year’s Day is very important. Family members will prepare a rich meal at the ancestor worship table, offering rice, meat, fruits and wine as offerings to express gratitude and respect to their ancestors. After the ancestral worship ceremony, the family members will share these foods together, symbolizing the connection with the spirits of the ancestors.
• New Year’s Eve Dinner:New Year’s Eve Dinner is one of the core activities of the New Year’s Eve. The traditional Korean New Year’s Eve dinner includes a variety of delicious foods, such as “soup rice” (떡국, symbolizing longevity and the beginning of a new year), “dumplings” (만두), “rice cakes” (떡), etc. Eating soup rice means washing away the bad luck of the year and welcoming new good luck.
• New Year’s greetings:During the New Year’s Eve, Korean people will pay New Year’s greetings to each other, especially to the elders to express respect and blessings. Traditionally, young people will visit their parents and elders on the morning of the New Year’s Eve, kneel down and express New Year’s blessings. The elders will give the younger generations red envelopes as blessings and encouragement.
• Playing traditional games:During the New Year’s Eve, the Koreans have some traditional games and entertainment activities. The most common games include “spinning top” (팽이치기) and “skipping rope” (줄넘기), which are not only fun, but also have the significance of enhancing physical health and praying for good luck.

The cultural significance of New Year’s Day

As one of the most important traditional festivals of the Korean ethnic group, New Year’s Day has profound cultural and historical significance. It is not only a time for family reunion, ancestor worship and blessings, but also a time for the inheritance of Korean culture and traditions. Through the celebration of New Year’s Day, the younger generation can learn about the cultural values ​​of family, respect for the elderly and love for the young, and gratitude.

With the changes of the times, although the activities of the Korean New Year’s Day in modern society have changed a bit, the traditional customs are still well preserved, especially in the family and community, the core spirit of the festival – reunion, gratitude and blessings – has never changed.