Koreans and Nigerians in the Federal Capital Territory celebrated the Korean Lunar New Year “Seollal” on Wednesday with Korean traditional games.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that ‘Seollal’ refers to the lunar new year, essentially the Korean equivalent of the Chinese new year.
It is where families gather to celebrate the beginning of a new lunar year with traditional foods, ancestral rites, and traditional games.
The year signifies a time for togetherness and wishing for good fortune in the coming year; it is considered the most important traditional Korean holiday.
The event, which was organised by the Korea Cultural Centre in Nigeria (KCCN) in Abuja, witnessed remarkable activities such as Korean traditional games like Gong-gi, Jegi-Chagi, and Ttakji-Chigi, and traditional Korean snacks.
It was aimed at celebrating and sharing Korean culture with Nigerians, as well as bringing the similarities of their games to those games Nigerians played back in the day.
Speaking at the event, Ms Yujin Lee, KCCN Cultural event manager, said that the event focused on the celebration of the biggest holiday in Korea, just like Chuseok (Thanksgiving).
Lee said the ‘Soellal’ was very significant because it gives one the opportunity to thank the ancestors.
“With this Lunar New Year celebration, we always focus on traditional games such as Gong-gi and Jegi-Chagi, among others, which are very important because it has to do with gathering people,” he said.
Also speaking, Ms Jennifer Ezeonyeasi, Cultural Events and Communications Officer of the KCCN, said ‘Seollal’  followed the Lunar New Year calendar in Korea.
According to her, the day is the celebration of a New Year, like January 1, all over the world.
“In order to make this event remarkable, we had put together some Korean traditional games for people to experience, especially with the popularity of the ‘Squid Game’.
“The Squid Game is a South Korean dystopian survival thriller action television series created, written, and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk for Netflix.

See Full Article: https://salientreporters.com.ng/2025/01/30/koreans-nigerians-celebrate-lunar-new-year-with-traditional-games/