Seollal

Seollal Meaning

Seollal (설날) is the Korean term for Lunar New Year, akin to our December 31st celebrations. It’s a significant holiday in Korea, and here’s a guide to what you can expect for Seollal 2024.

Seollal Dates

Wondering when Seollal is celebrated? The date changes each year. For 2024, Seollal happens to be on February 10. The reason why we specifically mention THIS YEAR is because Seollal (설날) follows the lunar calendar, therefore every year the date for Seollal changes. 

The unique aspect is that Seollal (설날) follows the lunar calendar, so its date changes each year. Interestingly, older generations tend to rely more on this lunar calendar, causing their birthdays to shift annually, which can make tracking them down a bit challenging.

Seollal Traditions

Families come together on this special day, often huddled indoors, enjoying delicious food and fun games. But before all the festivities, they pay their respects to their ancestors by setting up an altar laden with various foods. Family members then bow and spend time honoring their forebears. These rituals reflect a society that highly values its elders, a sentiment seen in everyday life, with younger individuals readily helping the elderly in various situations.

Games: Traditional Korean Festive Fun

After indulging in scrumptious dishes, it’s time for Seollal games! Both young and old engage in traditional Korean games, creating moments of laughter, bonding, and friendly competition. Some popular Seollal games include:

1. Yutnori (윷놀이): Yutnori is one of the most famous Seollal games in Korea. It’s a board game where players throw four wooden sticks (yut) and move their game pieces based on the results. The objective is to move your pieces around the board and back home, and there are various strategies involved in winning.
2. Tuho (투호): Tuho is a game where players take turns throwing sticks into a large jar. The goal is to get your sticks inside the jar, which can be challenging due to the narrow opening. It requires precision and skill to score points.
3. Jegichagi (제기차기): Jegichagi is a traditional Korean game similar to hacky sack. Players use their feet to kick a small paper or fabric ball into the air and keep it from hitting the ground. It’s a game of skill and coordination.
4. Paengi-chigi (팽이치기): Paengi-chigi is a game of spinning tops. Each player has a top and takes turns spinning it on the ground. The goal is to knock your opponent’s top out of the playing area or make it stop spinning first.
5. Korean Chess (Janggi or Korean Chess, 장기): Janggi is a traditional Korean chess game that’s similar to Western chess but with some differences in the rules and the game board. It’s a strategy game that requires critical thinking and planning.

These traditional Seollal games are not only fun but also a way for family members and friends to bond and enjoy each other’s company during the holiday festivities.

Even the word 떡국 carries a unique meaning. 국, in Chinese characters, signifies food that adds age (나이를 더해주는 음식), leading to playful jokes about avoiding Tteok-guk to stay forever young.

We have also heard from our Korean friends how their grandparents used to eat 만두국 which is dumpling soup. This was more common to eat in the northern part of Korea. 

Seollal Greetings

Happy Seollal in korean is 새해 복 많이 받으세요. The seollal pronunciation is sae-hae bok mani bad-eu-se-yo.

Tips for Seollal 2024

Buy food in advance

Since people often gather with their families to celebrate this special day, it is very common for local restaurants and markets to be closed. We recommend you to prepare in advance and do grocery shopping in case your favorite local restaurant is closed. Over the years and with the fact that more and more people prefer to stay at home, recently many franchise restaurants and large supermarkets open during Seollal but at special hours.

Book tickets in advance and avoid buses

This is a celebration in which the Korean government usually gives 3 days of vacation, which together with the weekend, provides a total of 5 days for people to travel to their hometowns. This gives the opportunity to travel around the country. If you are one of those travelers who want to get to know another city in Korea, we recommend you to book your tickets many weeks or even months in advance since generally all tickets sell out quickly. Also, we recommend you travel by train or plane and avoid renting a car or taking a bus since the traffic can be terrible and can take many hours off your trip.

Avoiding the crowds

Can you imagine taking photos or visiting the famous palaces of Seoul without other travelers beside you? It would seem almost impossible considering that approximately 25 million people live in Seoul and its surroundings. However, Seollal is the perfect date to do that as most locals travel outside of the capital to visit family. Many times we have decided to stay in the capital since sometimes it is good to go to places where there are not many people to be able to have a time of peace or to be able to take photos.