Find Out What and How Korean Celebrate Seollal 2022!
In this article, we will share to you What is Seollal and How Korean actually celebrate Seollal, as known as Lunar New Year in Korea 2022. If you are interested in Korean Culture and korean food, make sure to read until the end to learn all about Seollal as well as to try each of this food at your home.
Many of us know that there is 2 largest Korean holidays in Korea, in which are Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (Thanksgiving). However, during Seollal (Lunar New Year), Korean people usually gather with their families to hold ancestral rituals and enjoy food together with their family. However there’s more to it, let’s dive right to this information!
Seollal in Korea 2022
Seollal (설날) is the first day of the first month according to the lunar calendar of Korea. If you are an asian, or chinese, then you must already knew about this as you also celebrate Lunar New Year just as Koreans do every single year. However, it is officially recognized as holiday in 1985.
Lunar New Year is celebrated in almost all over asian country as it is came from asian culture and usually falls between late winter and early spring. This year in 2022, Korean lunar new year or Seollal (설날) falls on February 1th 2022. It last for 3 days, from a day before and ended on the day after Seollal day.
Celebrate Seollal in Korea
Lunar new year is one of the biggest holiday in Korea other than Chuseok. During both of these major holiday, usually Families and relatives get together for pay respect to their ancestors and enjoy a lot of food together, play some traditional Korean games and give gifts to one another.
1. Family Gathering
New Year’s Day is a time for family members to get back together as many koreans work and live in different region all over south korea due to job requirements. Seollal and Chuseok are two main ways for family get back and share some quality time together.
As most people are going back to their hometown during these two major holiday, you can expect there’s a lots of traffic and people flooded the public transportation.
2. Ancestral Ritual (제사)
During Seollal, Koreans practice ancestral rituals called jesa (제사) during the day. Jesa is a ceremony commonly practiced in Korea. Jesa functions as a memorial to the ancestors of the participants.
So everyone in the family is busy preparing food the day before Seollal. The supermarkets and marts are full of people buying fruits, vegetables, meats, and other ingredients for Seollal.
3. Visit Ancestors' Graves
After doing the ancestral rituals Jesa (제사) in the morning, they go to the grave of their ancestors to greet them by bowing as a symbol of them paying the respect and gratitude towards their ancestors and also tidy the grave.
Afterwards, usually they lit an incense and sprinkle wine or alcohol three times on the grave after removing the weeds on the grave.
4. New Years Bow Sebae (세배)
New Years Bow Sebae (세배) is performed by kids to their parents and elder of the family to wish the, a happy new year. You will see that the elders will sit and the children come in front of them and bow down wishing them luck and blessings in the upcoming year.
The kids do this willingly because the elder will give their kids money in exchange of wishing them luck. That’s why Seollal is an exciting day for kids.
5. Playing Korea Traditional Games
If you already read my article about Korea Traditional Games, you might already knew about Yut Nori (윷놀이), a traditional games that’s still hits until this day.
You can play yutnori with four wooden sticks just as you play dice. As you throw the sticks, if you got 1 blank spaces, then you move one, two blank spaces, move two, and so on, similar to a board game.
This games can be played up to three groups together, which is perfect to play during family gathering in Seollal.
Another games usually played during Seollal is Hwatu (화투), usually played by adults with some money to increase the adrenaline as they play together.
How to say ‘Happy Seollal 'Lunar New Year'’ in Korean?
If you want to say Happy New Year in Korean language, you can say Saehae Bok Mani Badeuseyo (새해 복 많이 받으세요).
Seollal Food in Korea
I knew many of you can’t wait to get to the point of what korean food koreans will eat during lunar new year 2022 in Korea, so let’s dive right into it.
1. Tteokguk (떡국, Korean Rice Cake Soup)
Credit to Hyuk419
Tteokguk is “the Korean new year soup”. The shape of the rice cake resembles old style Korean coins, as a symbolic meaning of riches and long life. Koreans believe that eating tteokguk enables us to add one more year. The food is prepared by putting plain rice cake into beef broth and boiling it. It is then topped with eggs and beef.
2. Jeon 전
Credit to Jungsoon5697
Jeon (전) is a type of Korean pancake and it is commonly served during most of Korean festival and holidays, often enjoyed with a bottle of makgeolli (rice wine). It can be made with various ingredients such as seafood including hrimp and pollock, vegetables and many more.
3. Galbijjim(갈비찜, Korean Braised Short Ribs)
Credit to HdkChef
Galbijjim is really tender and delicious Korean braised short ribs. It is coated with salt and sweet sauce. It is really common on every celebration in Korea as it is really addictive food. Galbijjim is made by beef, glass noodles and vegetables in the sauce.
4. Japchae (잡채, Korean Glass Noodle Stir Fry)
Credit to Seasonfoodstory
Japchae is made with bouncy textured glass noodles and various vegetables. It’s a very popular Korean appetizer and side dish. Famous among international korean food lovers.
5. Hangwa 한과
Credit to Jsjsp4686
Hangwa come in different colours, shapes and textures, it is a popular korean traditional snacks known for it’s chewy, colorful and sweet taste.
6. Manduguk (만둣국, Korean Dumpling Soup)
Mandu-guk or Korean dumpling soup is a various Korean soup made by boiling mandu in a beef broth or anchovy broth mixed with beaten egg.
7. Yaksik (약식, Korean Sweet Rice With Dried Fruit and Nuts)
Credit to elle_table
Yaksik is one of the foods you would eat on the first full moon of the lunar new year. Korean sweet rice made with dried fruit, nuts and honey. It is moderately sweet and has a sticky texture.
8. Kimchi Mandu (김치만두, Kimchi Dumplings)
Credit to Asianinspiration
Kimchi Mandu 만두 is actually a korean version of Jiaozi (China) and Gyoza (Japan) dumplings. kimchi dumplings are filled with a mixture of kimchi, pork, tofu, bean sprouts, onions, and scallions. Korean Mandu can be fried for a crunchy texture or steamed.
Seollal 2022
How do you think of Seollal In Korea and Korea’s activities during Seollal? Which one you love the most? All of these activities and dishes can be enjoyed in daily life too. However during Korean festivals and holidays, they somehow give special meaning on it.
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