![]() Then, there's the way a lot of Korean customers treat foreign staff - that includes my own Korean family. I tend to ask them why they think this way, and where they get their information from. That is, my students telling me they hate Chinese, they hate the Japanese. What does worry me at times, however, is the other side of the coin of that nationalism. ![]() It makes sense, I guess: when you get invaded by your much bigger neighbours every other century, you will need a strong identity to maintain your sense of self, as a society and a country. Many Koreans, especially those who have never had the opportunity to live abroad, are highly ethnocentric, patriotic and proudly nationalist. Though Seollal appears to be influenced by the Chinese luni-solar calender, if you'd like to keep your head and your body connected, you'd do well not to mention this to Koreans, from what I have observed. The white broth signifies health and a bright future, while the sliced rice cakes represent the longevity of life and the blessing of riches.Here in Korea, it is called Seollal and has its own set of rites. Many Koreans believe you become a year older when you eat a bowl of tteok-guk. Also known as rice cake soup, Tteok-guk is made with white beef broth and topped with circularly sliced Korean rice cakes. Translated into the pouch of blessing, bok-joo-meo-ni is where the children store the sae-baet-don.Īfter a busy morning of bowing and honoring, Korean families gather around the table to share a significant new year’s dish. When bowing children often wear hanbok, which is traditional Korean clothing, and hold onto a pouch called Bok-joo-meo-ni (복주머니). This tradition is called Sae-bae (세배) and the money received from the bowing is called Sae-baet-don (세뱃돈). When the children bow as a sign of honor, the adults bless them with a word of blessing along with some spending money. The Biggest difference between the two would be that Chuseok Jesa rituals are performed to wish for an abundant harvesting season, while Seol Nal’s Cha Rae is done to be blessed for the new year.Īfter showing respect to their passed ancestors, kids and young adults gather around to bow to the parents and grandparents of the family. Similar to Jaesa performed during Chuseok, Cha Rae honors the passed ancestors with food and alcohol, asking them to protect and bless the new year to come. The morning of Seol Nal starts with an ancestral rite called Cha-Rae. Ibi, founder of Studio Kō and her cousins The most common way people spend Seol Nal is by visiting families, honoring the ancestors and elders, and eating a new year’s special dish called 떡국 (tteok-guk). ![]() Koreans observe Seol Nal in many different ways, such as going to watch the sunrise or going on vacation with loved ones. The exact date when Koreans recognized Seol Nal is unknown, but artifacts dating back to Goryeo Dynasty prove that Koreans celebrated Seol Nal for over 1000 years.īeing the nation’s biggest celebration, Seol Nal also is a holiday that marks the start of a new beginning. Combined together, Seol Nal describes the greeting of the unfamiliar yet exciting new day of the new year. Nat-seol-da means something strange or unfamiliar, and nal means day in Korean. Although there are many theories for the meaning of this word, many believe that Seol Nal derives from two words, 낯설다 (Nat-seol-da) and 날 (Nal). Seol Nal is the word that is used to describe new years day in Korea. Here’s a brief introduction to Korean traditional rituals for Lunar New Year. Similar to the Korean Thanksgiving Chuseok, Korea recognizes Lunar New Year as one of the country’s biggest holidays, along with other East Asian countries such as China and Vietnam. From the 21st of January to the 24th, Koreans will enjoy their time with friends, family, and loved ones. Following the lunar calendar, Seol Nal is observed on January 22nd this year. While many people worldwide have already celebrated the new year on January 1st, many Asian countries are still anticipating this weekend to ring in the new year. Happy year of the black rabbit from Studio Kō.
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