Seollal Customs 2020

January 25 marks the first day of the Lunar New Year in 2020, also known as Seollal (설날) in Korea. This is one of Korea’s biggest celebrations aside from Chuseok (추석), commonly referred to as the Korean Thanksgiving or harvest festival. Contrary to the solar New Year celebrated around the world on January 1, also called Sinjeong (신정), many Asian communities celebrate the Lunar New Year, including the Chinese, Vietnamese, and Tibetans. Originating from Chinese Confucius practices (philosophy focused on moral correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity), Seollal became a holiday where families gather and celebrate by remembering and respecting their ancestors. Read on to learn more about Seollal traditions!

Gyeonjanyeon: Year of the Rat

Since the Seollal holiday originated from Chinese roots and teachings, the new year tradition is closely associated with the tale of the12 zodiac animals. The Lunar New Year in 2020 is called 경자년 (gyeonjanyeon), with “gyeon” meaning “white” and “ja” meaning “mouse”. According to Chinese mythology, the Jade Emperor, once a mortal turned to a divine being as emperors were believed to have a divine right to rule through the Mandate of Heaven, invited animals to dine with him. The first 12 to arrive would earn the honor of having a year in the zodiac calendar named after them. While there are many different versions of this tale, one agreed point in the story is that the rat used its wily wits to win the race. In a race to arrive at the Heavenly Gate, the rat placed first, thus in the measurement of time, the year of the rat is the first in the 12-year cycle. The remaining animals arrived in the order of: ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. In Korean, the 12 animals are called 십이지일 (sibijisin), or the 12 guardians of the Earth.

Seolbim, Sebae, Sebaetdon!

In Korea, Seollal is celebrated for three days: the day before, during, and after. During the day of Seollal, families gather wearing 설빔 (seolbim), traditional clothing worn before performing 세배 (sebae), an ancestral rite to show respect and gratitude to the generations that came before them. The festivities carry on with games and food throughout the day and the exchanging of gifts. 떡국 (tteokguk), a rice cake soup, is eaten with a clear broth to symbolize starting the new year with a clear mind and soul. 한과  (hangwa), a traditional sweet, is another special food for Seollal. After dressing in seolbim, children perform sebae; a deep bow given to the living elders to pay their respects and ask for their blessing and prosperity for the upcoming year. 세뱃돈 (sebaetdon), or New Year’s money, is typically handed out to the children after sebae is performed.

We hope you enjoyed this brief dive into the customs of Korea’s Lunar New Year and that you learned something new! The Kraze team wishes you all a very happy Lunar New Year! 새해 복 많이 받으세요 (saehae bok mani badeuseyo - Happy New Year)!