Seollal, or Korean Lunar New Year, is one of the most important cultural festivals of Koreans, marking the beginning of the new year according to the lunar calendar and opening the most profound family reunion occasion of the year.
Usually Seollal will last 3 days, including the day before the festival, the main festival and the day after the festival, from the 16th to the 18th. 2. This is a time for children and grandchildren to return to their hometowns, send New Year greetings and look towards their ancestors.
The focus of Seollal is the charye ritual, a ancestor worship ceremony held on the morning of the 1st day of Tet. The family prepares an altar with traditional dishes arranged according to strict rules, expressing respect and filial piety. In which, tteokguk rice cake soup holds a special position, symbolizing a new beginning and the concept of each person "adding one year" when eating a bowl of soup at the beginning of the year.
After the ancestor worship ceremony, sebae, the ritual of bowing to the elderly to express respect and receive good wishes. The performer of sebae usually wears traditional hanbok, kneels and bows deeply before grandparents, parents and elderly people.
When they stand up, they send New Year greetings, and adults respond with blessings or give sebaetdon - lucky money contained in small envelopes. This moment is both solemn and warm, clearly showing the spirit of respect and solidarity between generations.
In addition to the ritual, Seollal is also an opportunity for families to participate in folk games such as yutnori (flags), jegichagi (football) or neolttwigi (high bows). These activities are not only for entertainment but also contribute to preserving cultural memories, helping young children understand more about traditions and creating a characteristic reunion atmosphere of Tet.
Seollal cuisine is rich and symbolic. In addition to tteokguk, the dining table also has jeon, japchae and sweet dishes such as sikhye. Each dish is associated with wishes for health, prosperity and reunion. Together preparing and enjoying the first meal of the year becomes a bond connecting family members.
In modern Korean society, although many families live in urban areas and are under pressure of fast pace of life, the Seollal tradition is still maintained in many flexible forms. Some families simplify the charye ritual to suit small spaces, some families bring their children back to their hometowns to directly experience customs. Despite changes in form, the spirit of filial piety and the meaning of reunion are still core values.
Seollal is therefore not only the starting point of the lunar year but also the moment when Koreans look back at the past, strengthen the family bond and continue the long-standing cultural values in an increasingly modern society.
