Seollal is a Korean holiday that refers to the first day of the year. At this time, the first day of the year is based on the lunar calendar, not the solar calendar.


Asian countries such as Korea, China, and Japan have been using the lunar calendar for a long time. As Korea became Westernized, it now uses the solar calendar like the West in everyday life, but it is still used in important holidays and rituals for ancestors.




For this reason, Seollal, a Korean traditional holiday, has the same meaning as the first day of the Western New Year, but also has a different meaning.

The countries where Lunar New Year has been designated as national holidays include 12 countries including Korea, China, Taiwan, North Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Mongolia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

The most representative of Seollal customs in Korea is Sebae (New Year's bow). Sebae is a custom in which a young person greets an old person in the New Year.

At this time, young people give health and longevity to older people, and older people also give good words such as health, longevity, employment, and success.

What's interesting is that an older person gives money with words of blessing, which is called New Year's pocket money.

In Seollal, we always eat rice cake soup, a traditional Korean food. There is also a story that eating this rice cake soup will make you a year older.





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