Se hae buk mani paduseyo ! Happy New Year!
For foreigners like me New Year is a time of rest, stay home, posting blog entries, sleep and eat. Unlike in the Philippines we usually go to the home of our friends to celebrate with them, here in Korea it is very much a close knit family affair. Below is an article from Korea.net. On the morning of Seollal, people get up early to wash and put on their ‘Seolbim (new clothes prepared for Seollal)’. Many people wear Hanboks. Then the families gather to perform ancestral rites, paying their respects by offering them food. According to Korean traditions, it is believed that ancestors return to enjoy the holiday food prepared for them. An ancestral tablet is placed on the rites table along with all the dishes and drinks. This is to show appreciation and respect for late ancestors. The ancestral rites also symbolize the descendants’ prayers for a good new year. After the rites have been performed, everyone shares the holiday food together. Tteokguk is also prepared without exception, ma...