By Honorary Reporter Aruna Garg from India

Photos = Aruna Garg, iclickart

Lunar New Year aka Seollal starts from Feb. 1 this year. During this major holiday, families in Korea traditionally get together, wear Hanbok (traditional attire) and pay respects to their elders by bowing to them in a ceremony called sebae. In return, the elders give money as a gift, sometimes in small drawstring bags called bokjumeoni (lucky pouch). 

The food typically consumed on this day is tteokguk, a traditional dish of beef broth and thinly sliced rice cakes, and meat, fish, fruit and liquor are prepared to honor a family's ancestors in a ritual called charye. Then the food is shared with family members to signify that their ancestor's blessings will be with them throughout the year.

This is a typical table setup for the charye ritual. 

As an Indian, I can tell that traditional rituals and traditions like in Korea are also followed by Indian families during festivals like Diwali, Holi and Makar Sankranti.

Seollal is also celebrated by playing traditional folk games, the most popular being the board game yutnori. In addition, children fly kites and play jegichagi, or kicking a small shuttlecock to keep it from touching the ground, or the jumping game neolttwigi on a seesaw-like structure.

The sticks and board are part of the traditional game yutnori games, the shuttlecock is used in the game jegichagi and the multicolored bag with the drawstring is called bokjumeoni (lucky pouch). 

Though large gatherings are difficult amid the pandemic, I hope that Korean families and readers worldwide can celebrate Seollal safely. Happy Year of the Black Tiger, everyone.

enny0611@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.