The New Year Celebrations In Korea

               The Korean Lunar New Year was February 19 in 2015. It's one of the most celebrated national holidays and truly a special occasion for Korean people. It is the chance to catch up with distant family  in home to get together that day. They  get a long vacation like  thanksgiving in the United States. In Korea, many people live away from their family home. People have to book trains, buses, or plane tickets before selling out. Sometimes we can't buy the ticket because too many people want to buy it in order to go to home. On the other hand, travelling by car can take 2-5  times the normal travel time due to heavy traffic.

               The early morning of  Lunar New Year begins with an ancestral rite. People dressed up in traditional clothes and gather in front of  the rite table. It is set with ancestral dishes,which are according to the law of ancestral rite. Red food should be placed on the east end of the table but, white food should be placed on the west side. If a fish on the table it should be placed on the west side but, that head should face the east. There are standard laws but, it has changed little by little. For example, if my family prefers fish more than meat, we can set up a variety of fish.

              The rite begins with deep bows as greeting to the ancestor spirits, and pray for the family 's well-being through the year. After that, people gather together and eat the ritual foods. The rice cake soup is the main dish of the New Years day. It's made with thinly sliced rice cake, egg, vegetable, seaweed and so on.

             

           The Korean New Year is filled with tradition, traditional food, games, and activities. One of  those of  New Year is "Se bae." It's a deep formal bow of respect the younger people perform before the old people of the family. After Sebae  the older people should give a gift of money to the younger people.

  

                 Also, the Korean New Years is an opportunity for the whole family to have fun activities together. These days families used to see a movie or watching specials on TV. After leaving Korea, I don't have New Year's like I had in Korea. Although, not a public holiday here  in the USA, it's still a day for family. My family used to go to New York. In New York, there is Korean community, many korean prepared to celebrate New Year. They offer the rice cake soup to foreigners as well as Koreans for free. Also, they have a chance to promote our tradition for many people in other countries or for second -generation. I used to visit to my uncle's house. They have lived in Flushing, in New York since moved from Korea.  Several cousins are gathered in the uncle's. Most of them didn't know the Korean tradition due to they were born in the USA. Usually, during the aunt was cooking for rice cake soup, we played Korean board game that involves stick tossing. The game is simple, it is played on a board on which 29 circles are drawn, and 4 sticks. the game is normally played on the floor or ground. Also, my cousins knew how to do "sae bae''. They learned it from parents and they taught their children how to do the deep formal bow. My nephew receive gifts of money and words of wisdom for the New Year. Time goes fast, it's time to teach to my son for Korean tradition. I am proud of  it for "family time" I hope that my son keeps the good tradition with his family and I want to deliver fine Korean culture to future generations.