() is a Korean traditional festival and national holiday commemorating the first day of the Korean lunisolar calendar. It is one of the most important traditional holidays for ethnic Koreans, being celebrated in both

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

and

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

as well as Korean diaspora all around the world. Seol, written as "" in Middle Korean in

Hangul The Korean alphabet is the modern writing system for the Korean language. In North Korea, the alphabet is known as (), and in South Korea, it is known as (). The letters for the five basic consonants reflect the shape of the speech organs ...

, means "year of age" since it is also the date when Koreans grow a year older, though in South Korea this has changed as of 2023. The modern Korean word for "age" – sal is derived from the same origin as seol. Nal () means day in Korean, derived from Old Korean . The

Hanja Hanja (; ), alternatively spelled Hancha, are Chinese characters used to write the Korean language. After characters were introduced to Korea to write Literary Chinese, they were adapted to write Korean as early as the Gojoseon period. () ...

term won-il () is used, when referring to the date of the lunar new year of the

Korean calendar Throughout its many years of history, various calendar systems have been used in Korea. Many of them were adopted from the Lunar calendar, lunar Chinese calendar system, with modifications occasionally made to accommodate Korea's geographic locat ...

itself. The Korean lunisolar calendar, like most other East Asian calendars such as those of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

, among others, are all derived from historical variants of Chinese ones such as the Shixian calendar of the Ming dynasty. China and Japan use different terms for their respective new years, such as or , which are derived from

Classical Chinese Classical Chinese is the language in which the classics of Chinese literature were written, from . For millennia thereafter, the written Chinese used in these works was imitated and iterated upon by scholars in a form now called Literary ...

. During this time, many Koreans would visit their family, perform ancestral rites, wear the () / (), eat traditional food and play traditional folk games. One of the most well known practices in the current day is receiving money from their elders after performing a formal bow, a tradition likely adopted from

Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, religion, theory of government, or way of life. Founded by Confucius ...

customs. generally occurs in January or February on the second

new moon In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclipse. ...

after the

winter solstice The winter solstice, or hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's geographical pole, poles reaches its maximum axial tilt, tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern Hemisphere, Northern and So ...

, unless there is an intercalary eleventh or twelfth month in the lead-up to the New Year. In such a case, the New Year falls on the third new moon after the solstice.

Names

'' generally refers to (, also known as '' ()). '' may also refer to (), also known as (). While Korean New Year is generally referred to as , it has been called by many other names. They are listed in the table below.

History

Adaptation to the Chinese calendar

The earliest attestations of the festivals and customs surrounding are found in the Dongyi section o
Volume 30
of the

Book of Wei The ''Book of Wei'', also known by its Chinese name as the ''Wei Shu'', is a classic Chinese historical text compiled by Wei Shou from 551 to 554, and is an important text describing the history of the Northern Wei and Eastern Wei from 386 to 5 ...

(魏書東夷傳), of the contemporary Chinese historical work called the

Records of the Three Kingdoms The ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' is a Chinese official history written by Chen Shou in the late 3rd century CE, covering the end of the Han dynasty (220 CE) and the subsequent Three Kingdoms period (220–280 CE). It is regard ...

(三國志)''.'' Worshipping events with the celebration of singing and dancing was recorded in

Buyeo Buyeo (; ; ), also rendered as Puyŏ or Fuyu, was an ancient kingdom that was centered in northern Manchuria in modern-day northeast China. It had ties to the Yemaek people, who are considered to be the ancestors of modern Koreans. Buyeo is ...

during what was the 12th month () of the

lunisolar calendar A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures, that combines monthly lunar cycles with the solar year. As with all calendars which divide the year into months, there is an additional requirement that the year have a whole number of mont ...

at that time. The earliest records of celebrations are included in the 7th century Chinese historical works, called the ''

Book of Sui The ''Book of Sui'' () is the official history of the Sui dynasty, which ruled China in the years AD 581–618. It ranks among the official Twenty-Four Histories of imperial China. It was written by Yan Shigu, Kong Yingda, and Zhangsun Wuji, ...

'' (隋書) and the ''

Old Book of Tang The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...

'' (舊唐書), containing excerpts of national rituals and festivals in

Silla Silla (; Old Korean: wikt:徐羅伐#Old Korean, 徐羅伐, Yale romanization of Korean, Yale: Syerapel, Revised Romanization of Korean, RR: ''Seorabeol''; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) was a Korean kingdom that existed between ...

in the 7th century. Discontinued practices for worshipping deities from the native folk religion such as the ones of the sun and moon are also mentioned. The oldest surviving Korean records of can be found in the (三國遺事), compiled in the 13th century. During the rule of Bicheo (also called Soji), 21st ruler of Silla, in 488 AD a number of unfortunate events surrounding an affair between a high ranking person responsible for shrines (宮主) and a noble, that coincided with a specific lineup of Zodiac signs led to the day also being nicknamed Daldo (怛忉). The customs and ceremonies for have been passed onto in time and continued to

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

as well as the modern day. By the 13th century, the Korean new year was one of the nine major national festivals of Goryeo, according to the .

Japanese ban and re-establishment

During last vestige of

Korean Empire The Korean Empire, officially the Empire of Korea or Imperial Korea, was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by King Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire lasted until the Japanese annexation of Korea in August 1910. Dur ...

reign in 1907, celebrating was banned. Korea's last ''de jure'' emperor, Sunjong, under intense pressure by the Japanese, had no choice to enact the ban despite reluctance by himself and the Korean people. The Japanese rulers had forced the Koreans to do what they say as part of cultural assimilation and genocide. In 1910, Korea was officially annexed by the

Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

after years of war, intimidation and political machinations. During this period, the Japanese reiterated the prohibition of celebrating . The Japanese rulers set the official Korean New Year to follow the

Japanese New Year The is an annual festival that takes place in Japan. Since 1873, the official Japanese New Year has been celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 of each year, . Prior to 1872, traditional events of the Japanese New Year wer ...

which was set at the first day of the

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

since the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

. The day is called , and the old new year became . After the

liberation of Korea Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...

in 1945 and prior to the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

in 1950, the provisional Korean government designated the period from 1 to 3 January of the Gregorian calendar as a public new year holiday. In 1980s South Korea, there was widespread opinion among South Koreans that should be re-designated as a national holiday. Factors include respecting cultural traditions was raised, in addition to removing remnants of Japanese colonial rule and the South Korean dictatorship period especially under

Syngman Rhee Syngman Rhee (; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965), also known by his art name Unam (), was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960. Rhee was also the first and last president of the Provisiona ...

and

Park Chung Hee Park Chung Hee (; ; November14, 1917October26, 1979) was a South Korean politician and army officer who served as the third president of South Korea from 1962 after he seized power in the May 16 coup of 1961 until Assassination of Park Chung ...

. In response, the South Korean government declared that was a folk day from 1985 to 1988. In 1989, the

Roh Tae-woo Roh Tae-woo (, ; 4 December 1932 – 26 October 2021) was a South Korean army general and politician who served as the sixth president of South Korea from 1988 to 1993. In 1987, he became the first president to be directly elected under the cur ...

administration accepted public opinion that the old New Year's Day should be re-vitalized, designating the original New Year as both the official Korean New Year and a national holiday.

Customs

The festival is a typical family holiday for the Koreans. The three-day holiday is used by many to return to their hometowns to visit their parents and other relatives, where they perform an ancestral ritual called . The three days are the day of, the day before, and the day after. In 2016, 36 million South Koreans reportedly would be traveling to visit their families during the Korean New Year. Koreans not only travel within the country, but around the world, as well. Many Koreans travel from overseas to visit their families for this annual holiday. Since it is one of the few times families may be able to get together and catch up on one another's lives, it is considered respectful and important to attend the holiday. Often, the family members first visit the elders, and this includes the grandparents and the parents. It is also considered respectful for people to visit their mothers- and fathers-in-law during the Korean New Year. Including travel expense, preparation for this holiday is very costly. Gifts are usually given to family members and new clothes are worn during the holiday. Traditional food is prepared for many family members coming to visit for the holiday. Fruits are especially expensive. Due to the increased demand,

food prices Food prices refer to the average price level for food across countries, regions and on a global scale. Food prices affect producers and consumers of food. Price levels depend on the food production process, including food marketing and food di ...

are inflated during the month of . As a result, some people have chosen to forgo some traditions because they have become too expensive. These families prepare a modest ancestral rite only with necessary foods for . The government has started taking certain measures to help stabilize and support ordinary people's livelihood for the New Year holiday period, raising the supply of agricultural, fishery, and livestock products. The government has also used rice reserves and pork imports to lower inflation. The government is also putting money into small and medium-sized companies to help with cash flow.Many preparations go into celebrating the Korean New Year. During the first morning, Koreans pay their respect towards their ancestors. Traditional foods are placed on a table as an offering to the ancestors, and a rite begins with deep bows from all family members. This is a sign of respect and a very important practice on the first day of the New Year in Korea. It is also where they pray for the well-being of all the family members. Many Koreans dress up in colourful traditional Korean clothing called , usually worn for special occasions such as weddings, Korean New Year, child's first birthday, amongst others. However, with modernization and evolving mores in the culture, more people tend to prefer westernized, modern clothing to the . After the rite, the members have a big feast. Additionally, Koreans follow a zodiac that is identical to the

Chinese zodiac The Chinese zodiac is a traditional classification scheme based on the Chinese calendar that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating twelve-year (or duodenary) cycle. The zodiac is very important in traditional ...

. 12 animals represent the 12 years in sequential order with the rat/mouse representing the first year.

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

is believed to have invited animals from all over the world to visit, to which only 12 visited. In return, he honoured them by naming the years in the order that they arrived. Koreans believe that specific zodiac animals bring specific resources and qualities. For example, the year 2014 was the year of the horse, and it was considered a good year in the money and career aspect of life. It is said that a person born in a specific zodiacal year will carry that zodiac animal's characteristics. As a result, Koreans plan their year and activities around it to have a good, prosperous year. Parents may have even planned the birth year of their child, so the child may have a specific characteristic. Another custom observed is the lighting of a "moon house" built from burnable firewood and branches. This symbolizes the warding off of bad/evil spirits for the new year. Many also choose to add wishes they want to come true in the next year to the moon house.

() is a ritual of filial piety that is traditionally observed on . Dressed in traditional clothing, people wish their elders (grandparents, parents and aunts and uncles) a happy new year by performing a deep traditional bow (rites with more than one bow involved are usually for the deceased) and saying the words (, 'Please receive a lot of good fortune for the New Year.') Elders typically reward this gesture by giving children new year's money, or "pocket money" called (usually in the form of crisp paper money) in silk bags made with beautiful traditional designs, as well as offering words of wisdom (). Historically, parents gave out rice cakes () and fruit to their children.

New Year food

The main dish eaten on New Year's Day in South Korea is tteokguk (; IPA: ͈ʌk̚.k͈uk̚, a traditional soup consisting of rice cakes (tteok) most commonly served in a beef based broth and typically garnished with thinly sliced egg, green onion, and meat. There are many other variations featuring soy sauce in the soup base, as well as the addition of Korean dumplings known as mandu (). The tteok is made by steaming glutinous rice flour and shaping the dough into long ropes that signify "an expansion of good fortune in the new year." The rice cake ropes are then sliced into thin, oval shapes thought to resemble ''yeopjeon'' (), a traditional Korean currency. The white color of the rice cakes is also thought to represent "purity and cleanliness." Korean people believe that eating tteokguk signifies adding another year to your life as well. Its origins can be traced back to the 19th century from the mention of tteokguk in the "Dongguk Sesigi", a book on traditional Korean customs. The dish was said to be "prepared during ancestral rites on the first morning of Lunar New Year." Tteokguk carries heavy symbolic meaning as a dish representing good fortune, new beginnings, and the rich holiday traditions of Korea.

Savory pancakes called jeon (; IPA: /tɕʌn/) are typically included in the Korean New Year's feast. Made with various fillings such as meat, seafood, and vegetables, the side dishes are a fried, flour-based side dish. Out of the many variations, shredded beef (yukjeon; 육전), oysters (guljeon; 굴전), kimchi (kimchijeon; 김치전), and green onion (pajeon; 파전) are the most popular fillings for the crispy pancakes.TasteAtlas. (28 June 2016). Jeon: Traditional pancake from South Korea: Tasteatlas. World Food Atlas: Discover 16562 Local Dishes & Ingredients. Retrieved 7 December 2022, from https://www.tasteatlas.com/jeon The jeon is often accompanied with a spicy, soy sauce and vinegar mixture flavored with Korean chili powder called gochugaru to enhance its taste.Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS). (n.d.). Food. Korea.net. Retrieved 7 December 2022, from https://www.korea.net/AboutKorea/Korean-Life/Food Traditionally, jeon is prepared for holidays and festive occasions like Lunar New Years, though they are presently regarded as a staple Korean side dish or appetizer in everyday meals.

Japchae

In addition to being served at birthday parties and weddings,

japchae ''Japchae'' () is a savory and slightly sweet dish of stir-fried cellophane noodles, glass noodles and vegetables that is popular in Korean cuisine. * ''Japchae'' is typically prepared with ''dangmyeon'' (), a type of cellophane noodles made from ...

(; IPA: /t͡ɕa̠p̚t͡ɕʰɛ/) is often served on holidays like as well. Japchae is a noodle dish containing beef, vegetables such as spinach, carrots, mushrooms, and chili peppers, and clear cellophane noodles made from potato starch. The mixture is stir fried and tossed in a sauce made from soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil.TasteAtlas. (28 July 2016). Japchae: Traditional noodle dish from South Korea: Tasteatlas. World Food Atlas: Discover 16562 Local Dishes & Ingredients. Retrieved 7 December 2022, from https://www.tasteatlas.com/japchae Originally, japchae did not contain any noodles or meat at all when it was invented by a servant of King Gwangaegun, though it has evolved since then to become Korea's well known noodle dish suitable for celebrations.

Folk games

Many traditional games are associated with the Korean New Year. The traditional family board game remains a popular game, especially during Korean New Year. It is played using a set of specially designed sticks and is considered appropriate for all ages and genders. Men and boys traditionally would also fly rectangle

kite A kite is a tethered heavier than air flight, heavier-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create Lift (force), lift and Drag (physics), drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. Kites often have ...

s called (, see ), and also play , a game in which a light object is wrapped in paper or cloth, and then kicked in a footbag-like manner. Korean women and girls would have traditionally played , a game of jumping on a seesaw (), and , a game played with five little (originally a little stone, but today many buy manufactured in toy shops). Top ( () spinning is also a traditional game played by children. Recently, a few adults play

Go-Stop Go-Stop (), also called Godori (, after the winning move in the game) is a Korean Card game#Fishing games, fishing card game played with a Hanafuda, Hwatu () deck. The game can be called Matgo () when only two players are playing. The game is ...

instead of traditional .

References

{{Portal bar, Holidays, Asia, China, Korea Public holidays in Korea January observances February observances New Year celebrations Winter festivals Festivals in Korea Food and drink festivals in South Korea Folk festivals in South Korea Winter in South Korea Observances held on the new moon