Western New Year VS Korean Lunar New Year (Seollal) Traditions

The new year is an occasion filled with hope, positivity, and festivity. However, the concept and idea of New Year celebrations in the West are different to those of several countries in Asia, including Korea. The Western New Year is found on the Gregorian calendar, which is a solar calendar. This contrasts completely with the lunar calendar, which is based on the cycle of lunar phases, hence where the name Lunar New Year comes from. Despite following different calendars, both annual occasions celebrate and welcome the coming year with an upbeat start. This article will further explain the difference in traditions between the Western New Year and the Lunar New Year.

Western New Year

The Western New Year falls on January 1 of the Gregorian calendar and is celebrated around the world.

Fireworks

Major cities in many countries arrange extravagant firework displays, usually in the city center, for people to enjoy. Some shows start before midnight on New Year’s Eve in order to build up the excitement to when the new year begins, and other shows kick off right when the clock strikes twelve. In some countries, individuals and families set off their own fireworks in their yards or in large fields, if their cities allow such celebratory activities. The fireworks are similar to how many people celebrate Independence Day in the United States and are simply meant to ring in the new year with a bang!

New Year’s Resolutions and The New Year’s Kiss

Perhaps the most popular activities in Western countries for celebrating New Year’s Day are the creations of New Year’s Resolutions and The New Year’s Kiss. New Year’s Resolutions can be planned before the new year begins, but many people also start to formulate them on January 1. These resolutions can be anything: starting a new diet, beginning an exercise regimen, going back to school, starting a new hobby, or even working on improving a personal flaw. There is really no limit to the types of resolutions that people come up with, and most make these resolutions to make a promise with themselves that they will do better in the coming year. A large majority of people who make resolutions, at least in the United States, resolve to better their diet and exercise plans. Many gyms and fitness centers see a huge increase in their memberships at the beginning of the year, but sadly many people stop going to the gym as the year wears on. Whether people achieve their resolutions or not, it is still a common practice to at least make a list of them!

Likewise, The New Year’s Kiss is a widespread practice in the West. This practice is quite self-explanatory as it indicates that two people share a kiss right at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Usually those who share a kiss at 12:01 a.m. on January 1 are either married or in a romantic relationship, but many who are single share a chaste kiss with friends or acquaintances. This tradition is similar to the Western tradition of sharing a kiss under the mistletoe at Christmas.

Parties and Gatherings

New Year’s parties and family gatherings are another way many in the West welcome January 1. Some have small, family-oriented get-togethers where people share a meal and count down together to midnight, while others have larger parties complete with food, alcohol, and some form of entertainment or games. One popular activity at these parties is to gather around the television close to midnight to “watch the ball drop.” This refers to a large crystal ball on top of a tower in New York City that slowly begins to drop starting at 11:59 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. By the time the clock reaches 12:00 a.m., the ball has made its way all the way down. Many people count down at least the final ten seconds of the year by watching the ball drop, though thousands upon thousands of people gather in New York City to watch it in person. 

Lunar New Year in Korea (Seollal)

The Lunar New Year is on January 1 of the Lunar calendar and is especially important in many Asian countries, such as Korea.

Eating Rice Cake Soup (Tteokguk)

Food is always an essential element of the new year, and the same can be said in Korea. Rice cake soup, or tteokguk, is traditionally eaten during the Lunar New Year. It is a fairly simple dish, consisting of beef broth and round rice cake slices, but it holds important meanings. Before they’re steamed, the rice cakes are rolled into long ropes which symbolizes the expansion of one’s wealth. Once sliced, the rice cakes appear in the form of round disks that look like coins from the olden days, which also contains the meaning of one’s desire for an abundance of wealth in the new year. The rice cake itself is rather bland, but together with the seasoned broth, it creates a symphony of flavors. In modern day, Korean people tend to add garnishes such as strips of fried egg, slices of beef, and seaweed strips to their rice cake soup to add a rich flavor to the dish. Although instant rice cake soup can now be easily purchased at local convenience stores, a lot of families prefer making this dish from scratch, starting with making the rice cake itself, because it can become a fun family activity. The rolling and stretching of the chewy, sticky rice cakes can be an exciting and fascinating activity for the children. The Lunar New Year in Korea certainly isn’t complete without a taste of this traditional rice cake soup!

Playing Yut

Several traditional Korean games are played during the Lunar New Year, mostly by children. Among these is a board game called Yut which can be played in teams and consists of several elements. Firstly, there is a board for the game, which was traditionally made with a stitched cloth, called “malpan.” The lines on the board represent the different courses that the players can take, and there are different stations on each course. In the set, you will also find four sticks that act as dice, where each stick has one side with pictures and the other side without. Depending on the combination in which the sticks land, the player will be able to move a certain amount of places on the course. After having thrown the sticks, if they all land with the picture side face up, then the player is able to move five places and get another bonus throw. If only one stick lands with the non-picture side face up, then the player can move one place and so on. The last component of Yut is eight tokens, four for each team. The aim of the game is to move the token around the board so that all four tokens make it back to the starting position. There can be interceptions made by the opposing team to stop the tokens from reaching the starting point, and landing on certain stations permits players to take shortcuts. Yut is a strategic game that can get very high-spirited and is enjoyed by the whole family in the Lunar New Year.

Charye and Traditional New Year Bow (Sebae)

One very important tradition during the Korean Lunar New Year is the Charye, an ancestral rite, and Sebae, a deep bow performed especially on this day. On Lunar New Year’s Day, Korean families gather to take part in a Charye where the food, mostly prepared the day before, is placed on a table. The main preparation for the ceremony is the table filled with various dishes, side-dishes, soups, and fruits which are presented as offerings for the ancestors. The table is set in a particular way with the dishes lined up in specific rows. The dishes of the main proteins are placed closest to the ancestor, which, in other words, is the furthest from the perspective of the person who is about to do a sebae towards the table. After the table is prepared, the men will honor their ancestors by completing the rites and bowing. Once that has concluded, the food is then served to the family. With the conclusion of this meal, it is then time for the younger generation to pay respect to the older generation with the New Year bow, which is slightly different for males and females. When bowing, they would wish their elders lots of luck in the new year. In return, the elders, who are usually the grandparents, will give the younger generation some money known as “sebaedon” and wish them a prosperous year as well.