Korean New Year
is a Korean traditional festival and national holiday commemorating the first day of the Korean lunisolar calendar. It is one of the most important traditional holidays for ethnic Koreans, being celebrated in both North Korea and South Korea as well as Korean diaspora all around the world.
Seol, written as "설" in Middle Korean in Hangul, means "year of age" since it is also the date when Koreans grow a year older, though in South Korea this has changed as of 2023. The modern Korean word for "age" – sal is derived from the same origin as seol. Nal means day in Korean, derived from Old Korean *NAl. The Hanja term won-il is used, when referring to the date of the lunar new year of the Korean calendar itself. The Korean lunisolar calendar, like most other East Asian calendars such as those of Japan, Mongolia, Vietnam, among others, are all derived from historical variants of Chinese ones such as the Shixian calendar of the Ming dynasty. China and Japan use different terms for their respective new years, such as 正月 or 元日, which are derived from Classical Chinese.
During this time, many Koreans would visit their family, perform ancestral rites, wear the / , eat traditional food and play traditional folk games. One of the most well known practices in the current day is receiving money from their elders after performing a formal bow, a tradition likely adopted from Confucian customs.
generally occurs in January or February on the second new moon after the winter solstice, unless there is an intercalary eleventh or twelfth month in the lead-up to the New Year. In such a case, the New Year falls on the third new moon after the solstice.
Names
generally refers to ). may also refer to , also known as .While Korean New Year is generally referred to as, it has been called by many other names. They are listed in the table below.
| Literal translation | Hangul | Hanja | RR | MR |
| The first day | 원일 | 元日 | Wŏnil | |
| The first morning | 원단 | 元旦 | ||
| The first morning | 원조 | 元朝 | ||
| The first month | 원정 | 元正 | ||
| The first new | 원신 | 元新 | ||
| The morning of the first month | 정조 | 正朝 | ||
| The head of the year | 세수 | 歲首 | ||
| The head of the year | 연두 | 年頭 | ||
| The head of the year | 연수 | 年首 | ||
| The beginning of the year | 세초 | 歲初 | ||
| The beginning of the year | 연시 | 年始 |
History
Adaptation to the Chinese calendar
The earliest attestations of the festivals and customs surrounding are found in the Dongyi section of of the Book of Wei, of the contemporary Chinese historical work called the Records of the Three Kingdoms . Worshipping events with the celebration of singing and dancing was recorded in Buyeo during what was the 12th month of the lunisolar calendar at that time.The earliest records of celebrations are included in the 7th century Chinese historical works, called the Book of Sui and the Old Book of Tang, containing excerpts of national rituals and festivals in Silla in the 7th century. Discontinued practices for worshipping deities from the native folk religion such as the ones of the sun and moon are also mentioned.
The oldest surviving Korean records of can be found in the , compiled in the 13th century. During the rule of Bicheo, 21st ruler of Silla, in 488 AD a number of unfortunate events surrounding an affair between a high ranking person responsible for shrines and a noble, that coincided with a specific lineup of Zodiac signs led to the day also being nicknamed Daldo. The customs and ceremonies for have been passed onto in time and continued to Goryeo, Joseon as well as the modern day. By the 13th century, the Korean new year was one of the nine major national festivals of Goryeo, according to the.
Japanese ban and re-establishment
During last vestige of Korean Empire reign in 1907, celebrating was banned. Korea's last de jure emperor, Sunjong, under intense pressure by the Japanese, had no choice to enact the ban despite reluctance by himself and the Korean people. The Japanese rulers had forced the Koreans to do what they say as part of cultural assimilation and genocide.In 1910, Korea was officially annexed by the Empire of Japan after years of war, intimidation and political machinations. During this period, the Japanese reiterated the prohibition of celebrating. The Japanese rulers set the official Korean New Year to follow the Japanese New Year which was set at the first day of the Gregorian calendar since the Meiji Restoration. The day is called, and the old new year became.
After the liberation of Korea in 1945 and prior to the Korean War in 1950, the provisional Korean government designated the period from 1 to 3 January of the Gregorian calendar as a public new year holiday. In 1980s South Korea, there was widespread opinion among South Koreans that should be re-designated as a national holiday. Factors include respecting cultural traditions was raised, in addition to removing remnants of Japanese colonial rule and the South Korean dictatorship period especially under Syngman Rhee and Park Chung Hee.
In response, the South Korean government declared that was a folk day from 1985 to 1988. In 1989, the Roh Tae-woo administration accepted public opinion that the old New Year's Day should be re-vitalized, designating the original New Year as both the official Korean New Year and a national holiday.
Customs
The festival is a typical family holiday for the Koreans. The three-day holiday is used by many to return to their hometowns to visit their parents and other relatives, where they perform an ancestral ritual called. The three days are the day of, the day before, and the day after. In 2016, 36 million South Koreans reportedly would be traveling to visit their families during the Korean New Year. Koreans not only travel within the country, but around the world, as well. Many Koreans travel from overseas to visit their families for this annual holiday. Since it is one of the few times families may be able to get together and catch up on one another's lives, it is considered respectful and important to attend the holiday. Often, the family members first visit the elders, and this includes the grandparents and the parents. It is also considered respectful for people to visit their mothers- and fathers-in-law during the Korean New Year.Including travel expense, preparation for this holiday is very costly. Gifts are usually given to family members and new clothes are worn during the holiday. Traditional food is prepared for many family members coming to visit for the holiday. Fruits are especially expensive. Due to the increased demand, food prices are inflated during the month of. As a result, some people have chosen to forgo some traditions because they have become too expensive. These families prepare a modest ancestral rite only with necessary foods for. The government has started taking certain measures to help stabilize and support ordinary people's livelihood for the New Year holiday period, raising the supply of agricultural, fishery, and livestock products. The government has also used rice reserves and pork imports to lower inflation. The government is also putting money into small and medium-sized companies to help with cash flow.Many preparations go into celebrating the Korean New Year. During the first morning, Koreans pay their respect towards their ancestors. Traditional foods are placed on a table as an offering to the ancestors, and a rite begins with deep bows from all family members. This is a sign of respect and a very important practice on the first day of the New Year in Korea. It is also where they pray for the well-being of all the family members. Many Koreans dress up in colourful traditional Korean clothing called, usually worn for special occasions such as weddings, Korean New Year, child's first birthday, amongst others. However, with modernization and evolving mores in the culture, more people tend to prefer westernized, modern clothing to the. After the rite, the members have a big feast.
Additionally, Koreans follow a zodiac that is identical to the Chinese zodiac. 12 animals represent the 12 years in sequential order with the rat/mouse representing the first year. Buddha is believed to have invited animals from all over the world to visit, to which only 12 visited. In return, he honoured them by naming the years in the order that they arrived. Koreans believe that specific zodiac animals bring specific resources and qualities. For example, the year 2014 was the year of the horse, and it was considered a good year in the money and career aspect of life. It is said that a person born in a specific zodiacal year will carry that zodiac animal's characteristics. As a result, Koreans plan their year and activities around it to have a good, prosperous year. Parents may have even planned the birth year of their child, so the child may have a specific characteristic.
Another custom observed is the lighting of a "moon house" built from burnable firewood and branches. This symbolizes the warding off of bad/evil spirits for the new year. Many also choose to add wishes they want to come true in the next year to the moon house. is a ritual of filial piety that is traditionally observed on. Dressed in traditional clothing, people wish their elders a happy new year by performing a deep traditional bow and saying the words Elders typically reward this gesture by giving children new year's money, or "pocket money" called in silk bags made with beautiful traditional designs, as well as offering words of wisdom. Historically, parents gave out rice cakes and fruit to their children.