Happy Seolnal, Everyone!

By Um So-min, Tribune Reporter

 Have you ever heard of Seolnal? The lunar new year, Seolnal fell on February 14th this year. It is the biggest holiday in Korea, a national one, treated much bigger than January First. It is a three-day holiday, which gives a chance for scattered families to gather and spend time together. Not only do they hold a memorial ceremony for ancestors called Charye, they visit each other, giving new year’s greetings, and sharing food. Especially, to the elderly they bow, which is called Sebae. Words of blessing, Deokdam, are given back after Sebae. Also, it is a tradition to give children the new year’s cash gift, Sebaetdon. As for special holiday dishes, Tteokguk is the one. Korean say you get one year older when you finish a bowl of Tteokguk. Please beware that on Seolnal, most stores would close up, traffic gets very heavy, bus terminals and train stations become totally crowded. Do you want to say new-year’s greeting in Korean? Say “Saehae Bok Mani Badeuseyo!”