Korea celebrated the Lunar New Year last January 23 . The Lunar New Year, otherwise known as Seollal is one of the biggest holidays in Korea. A lot of Koreans go home and spend time with their families. Others visited their relatives.As for me, I stayed at my Catholic church during the holiday. Since I am a seminary student, even during the Lunar New Year, I have to be there and attend mass.
In this article, I want to share with you what I think about Seollal.
A family wearing ‘Han Bok’
together during Seollal
In the old days, kins gather together during Seollal. Seollal is a special occasion for the Korean people as they pay respect to their ancestors. Usually, people wear hanbok (traditional clothes) perform ancestral rites and/or play folk games, eat delicious traditional foods like tteokguk. However these days, it looks like that the meaning of the Seollal has changed. Nuclear families are much more common today, and people do not give much importance to family-oriented festival (particularly those involving extended families). As years pass, individuals don’t like attending big family gatherings that much. They feel uncomfortable talking with relatives. Young people think that these family gatherings only entail them to disclose details about one’s job, marriage and other intricate details about their private lives. These stories just bug them. However, some people enjoy Seollal because they can eat delicious meals and enjoy family bonding with long lost relatives. They particularly look forward to special foods that are available in homes during this festive celebration. Moreover, a lot of individuals look forward to the Seollal gifts that they receive from their grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts. They are eagerly looking forward to the “Sebae don” they will be receiving.
Indeed, people have mixed feelings about this holiday. But I hope that you look for the good traits of this family oriented affair. It only happens once in a year. I hope instead of harboring ill feelings towards this holiday, make the most out of this holiday to harness long lasting relationships with family members.
By Kim Heung Nyun, GEO Class 3-3 (Professor Tom Kim and TA Revan)
