Seollal (Korean Lunar New Year)
설날 (Seollal)
📅 1st day of the 1st lunar month (typically late January to mid-February). 3 consecutive public holiday days.
Origin & Why It Is Observed
Historically rooted in agricultural renewal and ancestral gratitude dating back to the Three Kingdoms era. Koreans gather to wish each other good health and fortune for the unfolding year.
Traditional Customs
Performing Sebae (deep ceremonial bow to elders while wearing Hanbok), receiving Sebaetdon (New Year blessing money), family rituals (Charye), and playing Yut Nori board games.
Modern Observance
Millions travel across Korea in the great holiday homecoming (Gwi-seong). While rituals are streamlined today, family gatherings remain deeply central.
Associated Foods
Tteokguk (clear broth soup with white sliced cylinder rice cakes). Eating Tteokguk symbolically adds one year of age and promises a pure, clean start to the year.
Practical Impact for Residents
Major public offices, banks, clinics, and traditional stores close. Expressways, KTX trains, and domestic flights sell out months in advance. Public transit usually extends night hours in Seoul.