Happy New Year (again) - the real New Years party - 설날
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009Hey, it wouldn’t be KoreanClass101 without a culture class on this holiday.
You might be wondering why this new year is not on the same day as our traditional new years party in the West. Because just like all other complicated math concepts in Korea, this holiday is based on the lunar calendar and not the solar calendar. The solar calendar is what we receive in the mail for free from the ASPCA and the like. The lunar calendar is what changes from year to year. Here’s a 2009 list of solar and lunar holidays in Korea.
So, if it seems like Koreans were late to your New Years party by a few weeks, that’s the problem. Plus, solar new year is not as big of a deal in many Asian countries, not just Korea (excluding Japan). However, Koreans do something on January 1st, too. Typically, solar new year’s eve is a couple day in Korea while it’s more of a party-until-you-can’t-remember-where-you-parked holiday In America usually spent with friends. By the same token, 설날 is practically nonexistent in America and known more commonly as Chinese New Year. This title, I’m sure, is offensive to other cultures (like Vietnamese, Indian, etc) who celebrate Lunar New Year quite differently than the Chinese but at similar times. However, I guess that’s just the name of the game in America.
What this celebration means to most Koreans is that it’s a time for one of the biggest family get-togethers. For younger family members it means 세뱃돈, 세배, and lots of questions about school. For older family members it means 성묘, 차례, and possibly wearing 한복. For everyone involved it means traveling, partying, good food, and close quarters. Allow this unnaturally perfect photo to demonstrate:
As far as entertainment (other than kind provided by 소주) two games come to mind: 윷놀이 and 화투. Can you believe I found a yutnori iPhone app? As far as food, 떡국 is the staple. It’s just not 설날 without 떡국. It’s like the square/rectangle relationship. All squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares, right? Well, you can eat 떡국 on a day other than 설날 but 설날 must have 떡국.
Does anyone have a story about their experiences with 설날? How about Korean New Years versus your own culture’s new year celebration.
새해 복 많이 받으세요!
Thoughts?
Posted by Matthew in How Koreans Do It, Korean Holiday |
January 27th, 2009 at 6:21 am
We call it Chinese New Year here in the UK, too, and I’m pretty sure in Australia as well. I think really pretty much the Western world in general - so it’s not just you Americans offending the other parts of the world! We’re all guilty of it ;;
January 27th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
was staying in Seoul with my friends family for 2008 설날. I’d been in Seoul already for about 6 weeks so I was used to a noisy, bustling city. Then when it was 설날 its like a mass exodus back to hometowns all over the country. We had the Grandad with us so we stayed in Seoul for the holiday.
I wish I’d payed more attention throughout the day though, but I’d been numbed by the amount of people now running around the usually house. I’m really lucky that I was in Korea during 설날 and especially because I was staying with Koreans and not in a student dorm, so I really got to experience 설날 first hand instead of treating it like any other old day like some of my fellow classmates. I got to witness the bowing to commemorate the ancestors (am I right there? That’s what I assumed they were doing. Please correct me if I’m wrong), I got to see them prepare all the food (some you can eat, some you can’t), I got to soak up the atmosphere of the house with so many family members who hadn’t seen each other in some time, and like most other young people, I got to look forward to 세뱃돈, where I got to bow for. I remember my friends Dad was armed with a camera clicking away happily. I didn’t spend it though because it wasn’t money to me, it was a keepsake. I wrote the date on it and still have it and I won’t ever spend it, even when I go back to Seoul at the end of the year. And as Matthew said, 떡국 is a MUST, not only because I like it but because it goes hand in hand with 설날. It was another occasion in Korea in which I had a tonne of fun!
Oh, and it’s Chinese New Year in Australia too
January 28th, 2009 at 3:47 am
What a great experience Xenatia! I’m green with envy~
@ Tali - Well then, we can agree that both of our countries are at least equally offensive
Apparently Australians are just as clueless as the rest of us English speakers….something to work on for the next generation, I suppose 
Keep the stories coming everyone!
December 22nd, 2009 at 5:35 am
[…] Plainly said, Christmas is a ‘friend’ holiday instead of a ‘family’ holiday like it is in America. The opposite can be said about New Years in Korea - it’s a ‘family’ holiday instead of a ‘friend’ holiday like it is in America. No need to complicate matters. Everything else is completely backwards here so why not Christmas, right? […]