Seollal - Korean

Hello! I am Seollal. I am also called the Korean New Year. I am a very happy and special time for families. When I arrive, it means a brand new year is starting for everyone! People get very excited for me to come. My celebration lasts for three whole days. During this time, families travel from places that are near and far. They all come together in one place to celebrate. It is a wonderful time for happy greetings and being with the people you love. Welcoming a fresh, new year is my special job.

One of my most delicious traditions is a special soup that people eat. This yummy soup is called tteokguk. It is warm and tasty, perfect for a celebration. Inside the soup, there are soft, round rice cakes floating around. These little rice cakes are very special. They are shaped to look just like shiny coins. People believe eating them brings good luck in the new year. There is another fun part about this soup. When you eat a bowl of my tteokguk, it means you have just become one year older!

I am also a time for beautiful, colorful clothes. Many children get to wear special outfits called hanbok. The hanbok has many bright and happy colors that look lovely. While wearing their beautiful hanbok, children show respect to the older people in their family. They give a very deep bow to their grandparents and their parents. This special bow is called sebae. After they give their polite bow, the children might get a wonderful surprise. They often receive special money and get to play lots of fun games with their family.

Today, when people celebrate me, they continue these lovely traditions. Families still gather together to welcome the new year. They share yummy bowls of tteokguk, and children look so nice in their colorful hanbok. They show love and respect with the sebae bow. I am a happy time for everyone to be together, wish for good luck, and get ready for a wonderful new year.