When and how is the New Year in Korea celebrated?

It is difficult to imagine the New Year without a large Christmas tree in the city center and Santa Claus. Without these attributes, the holiday becomes boring, but not in Korea. Learn what the Korean New Year is in this article.

In South and North Korea, it is customary to celebrate not one, but two whole New Year holidays: European and traditional. The European New Year, like all European countries, is celebrated on the night of December 31 to January 1. The traditional (Korean) New Year, or as Koreans call it, Seollal, has no fixed date to celebrate. Korean New Year is determined by the eastern lunar calendar. Considering the fact that Korea has lived according to the Gregorian calendar for over 120 years, Seollal is passed down from generation to generation in the primary traditions. As a rule, the celebration falls at the end of January and until mid-February, no earlier than January 25th.

The word "Seollal" in translation from the Korean language means "Korean New Year". It is customary to celebrate the main holiday for three days: during this period, residents of North and South Korea spend their time quite quietly with their families. On holidays, most tourists do not visit the country, since almost all public places do not work, there is absolutely no traffic in cities, festivals and concerts do not take place. On such days, people seem to return to their origins, relatives gather in their own circle, children honor their parents, parents thank their children, the living honor the dead, everyone remembers the outgoing year and is mentally charged for the coming one.

Eastern New Year for Koreans is a time to stop and collect your thoughts, a time to get one more year older, literally.... Absolutely all residents of the two countries become one year older, regardless of the month in which they were born, even newborns!

As for the celebration itself, it takes place in stages.

• 1st day. Several generations of the family gather in one house and are engaged in preparations for the holiday: cleaning, cooking, decorating rooms.
• 2nd day... Koreans dress up in traditional outfits, perform ancient rituals and celebrate the holiday.
• 3rd day... Continuation of the holiday with family, visiting festivals, rest.

They are greeted by the mayor and several distinguished citizens. When the hands of the clock point to midnight, the mayor rings the bell, which is located in the square. In South Korea, it is believed that at this moment the sounds of the main bell drive away troubles and illnesses from people. The symbols of the Korean New Year are animals according to the Chinese zodiacal calendar, and the main Koreans consider the chicken and the tiger. It is customary to place images of animals on the door in front of the entrance to the house - this is how they protect their owners.

South Korea is a more traditional and superstitious country than North Korea. This is primarily due to the social and political system. South Korea has always reverently preserved its traditions and rituals, while North Korea has stubbornly tried to destroy the customs among the masses. Of course, this could not but affect the society today. People in North Korea prepare simple national dishes for the New Year's table, while in South Korea it is customary to cook more national and European dishes.

Here are the main dishes at the Korean table.

• Rice soup tteokguk. The dish is a beef bone broth with rice dumplings. White rice symbolizes purity and the beginning of a new period, good intentions, and therefore a happy life. And to taste this dish means to grow up for a year, so among the locals there is a humorous question “How many bowls of soup have you eaten?”, So you can find out the age of a person. Some housewives add Korean dumplings to the broth instead of rice, and tteokguk becomes manduguk.

• Korean pancakes jeon. These pancakes are completely different from European pancakes, primarily in the filling. A variety of vegetables are used as a filling: onions, corn, green peas, peppers, tomatoes. Fish and hot ingredients such as garlic and hot peppers are often added. The dish turns out to be whole and spicy.

• Glass noodles chapche - a special dish in Korean culture and cuisine. Not a single meal is complete without noodles. Both on weekdays and on holidays, absolutely all Koreans consume chapcha, since it is completely gluten-free. Traditionally, noodles are served with vegetables, mushrooms, fish and meat, and they are seasoned with soy sauce and sesame seeds.

• Vegetable kebabs. Both adults and children love to cook such a dish. Chicken or beef is used, it is planted on wooden sticks, alternately with vegetables, and baked in the oven. Top with spices and sesame seeds. Such a delicacy serves as a delicious and beautiful treat for the New Year's table.

• Sikhe rice drink. After such a delicious and rich dinner, Koreans love to taste a kind of rice tea. Sikhe is a non-alcoholic liqueur made from rice and pine nuts. The drink is quite sweet and has a beneficial effect on digestion. Must be consumed with dessert!

• Tteok pies. Often called Korean dumplings, they are made from glutinous rice. In Korea, this is a very popular dessert, there are more than 100 types of them, and in Seoul there is even a museum of Korean dumplings. Traditionally, they are prepared for the New Year's table with a variety of fillings: with fruits, nuts, dried fruits, with sweet pasta, with chocolate and even with condensed milk.

• Yakkwa honey biscuits. Such a dessert is often called medicinal, since the dish contains useful ingredients (ginger, honey), which were previously used exclusively by healers. Among the locals, such a treat is considered a real delicacy.

• Rice wine. Due to the fact that rice is the most popular crop in Korea, alcoholic beverages are made from rice and yeast. The wine is not strong, the degree is small, slightly tart and sparkling.

On such a traditional holiday, hardworking Koreans go on paid vacation, as there are legal days off in the country. And a few years ago there was even a 2-week New Year vacation. During this time, you need to do a lot, After all, the New Year is a portal of time between the outgoing and the coming. It is important for Koreans to make these three days stand out from the crowd of other days in the year.

South Koreans have a tradition on the morning of the first day, go to the sea. Unlike the North Koreans, this ritual means a lot to them. Catch the first rays of the morning sun, breathe in deeply the smell of water and algae, think about what happened and what is yet to come. Seollal brings people together and they go to the nearest beach to the Sea of ​​Japan. Many people pack up, rent a bus and hit the road. Once next to the sea, everyone becomes on their own and plunges into their own thoughts. This is how many Koreans greet the dawn.

The next destination is the house of the oldest relative. It's good when there is an opportunity to gather 4 generations of a family. It is here that those family customs that have the most ancient roots take place.

Koreans believe that on the holiday of Seollal, the souls of deceased relatives return to their homes to celebrate a bright holiday with them. An altar is installed in almost every home, where gifts are brought to their souls. In return, they help living relatives in difficult everyday situations. In order for the deceased relative to find their way home, a plaque with his name is left on the altar. Plates with food are placed next to the plates; it is traditional to leave the sticks vertically in a plate of rice. Then the younger members of the family make obeisances, believing that in this way the deceased relatives will not be forgotten.

Bowing to deceased relatives in Korea is called "chhare" - this is the first part of the main rite of the holiday... The second part of the ceremony is called "sebe" and involves bowing to senior family members. Children worship their parents, wishing only well-being, health and happiness, and parents - their parents. Everyone changes into the traditional hanbok costume and the celebration begins. Children love this ceremony, as adults also thank the younger ones and give them money. It is not accepted to give toys or other gifts.

After the ceremony of worship, the family gathers at one table, and everyone proceeds to the festive meal. Food is placed on the cardinal points. It is at the meal that all relatives grow up for another year. It is customary to talk a lot at the table, in the house they turn on music or TV, light incense.

It is customary among the younger generation to congratulate and exchange gifts. Gifts are given practical, so that you can really use them. This can be: a grocery basket, a shower kit, a cognitive book, a spa certificate, store coupons, and more.

Towards evening, Koreans clear the table and start playing board games. Yut-nori is considered the main board game in Korea. It is played by both adults and children. The entertainment consists of a playing field, colorful chips and sticks. The game is a team game, and the players must go through the field completely and get to the finish line. Whose team crossed the finish line first is the winner.

The chips are made in the shape of animals: a dog, a pig, a horse, a sheep, a bull, a cow. Each animal has its own function and capabilities. In the course of the game, yut-nori resembles our traditional checkers and chess, since the chips can "beat" each other.

In general, Koreans prefer intellectual games and believe that a real person is the one who is always cognizant. Among the card games, hato is distinguished - in translation from the Korean “fight of flowers”. This gambling game consists of miniature colored cards depicting flowers, birds and animals. The essence of the game is that the deck consists of 12 suits, each suit has its own 4 cards. These suits correspond to 12 months of a full year. There are strong cards and weak ones, the principle of the game is similar to the well-known card game "Russian fool".

There is a popular game among women nolttwigs... A few centuries ago, women lived in a closed area - in temples, they were forbidden to go beyond the high fence of the territory, and they could only guess what kind of world was outside the walls of their home. It was then that they came up with a kind of swing, it was located on the highest branch of the tallest tree. The girls swayed on the board and performed various acrobatic stunts - so they could at least a little bit touch the outside world. The world has changed, but there is no tradition. So once a year, adult women have fun from the heart.

On Seollal holiday, some families set up a Christmas tree and decorate it, but it is not customary to decorate the city these days. Most often, they buy an artificial spruce home, so it's easier to remove it after the holiday. On many houses, you can see hieroglyphs with wishes. It is customary to wish wealth, long life, respect, happiness and many children. And throughout the city, red eastern lanterns are hung.

On the third day of the holiday, Koreans stay at home and "rest" from the holiday. Traditional New Year in Korea is family celebration. At this time, it is not customary to get angry, to fuss. It is important to find inner balance, analyze the outgoing year, talk and spend time with family. This is a good reason to meet and unite with loved ones. Express words of gratitude and wish well-being to your relatives, acquaintances, colleagues and bosses.

See the video for how the New Year is celebrated in Korea.