Seollal (Korean Lunar New Year)

Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, is a major cultural holiday celebrated around the second new moon after winter solstice, typically in late January or early February. It marks the beginning of the lunar calendar year and is a time for family gatherings, ancestral rites, and honoring elders. Traditional activities include performing ancestral rituals (charye), wearing hanbok (traditional clothing), playing folk games, and enjoying special foods like tteokguk (rice cake soup). Seollal fosters respect for family, heritage, and renewal, combining festive celebration with cultural reverence that has been practiced for centuries.