That is Seollal, Korea’s Lunar New Year.
Observed on the first day of the lunar calendar, Seollal is one of the country’s most important traditional holidays. The official break typically runs for at least three days, during which families reunite to mark the beginning of the year.
While often compared to Thanksgiving in the United States or Lunar New Year celebrations in China, Seollal is distinctive in its emphasis on ancestral rites performed within the home.
On the morning of Seollal, many families hold charye, a memorial ritual honoring ancestors. Younger family members perform sebae, a formal bow to elders, who in return offer words of blessing and small cash gifts known as sebaetdon. These customs reinforce intergenerational respect and a sense of family continuity.
At the center of the holiday meal is tteokguk. The white rice cake soup symbolizes renewal and purity, while its long, thin slices are traditionally associated with longevity. A common saying holds that one must eat tteokguk to “become a year older.”
Although the clear-broth version is the most widely known, regional variations abound — from the oval-shaped rice cakes of Gaeseong-style soup to oyster-based versions in southeastern regions and dumpling-filled broths in Gangwon Province.
After the rituals and meals, families often turn to traditional games. The most familiar is yutnori, a board game played by tossing four wooden sticks and moving tokens based on the result. Its simple rules allow children and grandparents alike to join in.
A Nation on the Move
Seollal is also marked by one of the largest annual movements of people in South Korea.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, about 27.8 million trips are projected during the 2026 holiday period. While this is lower than the 32.07 million recorded in 2025, the decline largely reflects a shorter break — four days this year compared with six last year.
On a daily basis, travel intensity is expected to rise, averaging 8.34 million people per day, up from 7.63 million the previous year.
Highway traffic is forecast to peak at 6.15 million vehicles on Seollal itself, as travel compresses into a narrower time window. The concentration highlights how the structure of the holiday calendar shapes nationwide mobility patterns.
At the same time, the meaning of Seollal has evolved.
A recent survey found that 31.4 percent of respondents plan to travel during the holiday, with most choosing domestic destinations. While visiting one’s hometown was once the central obligation of the season, leisure travel is increasingly becoming part of the celebration.
Smaller family sizes, changing work patterns and shifting social expectations have also altered how households observe the holiday. Some families shorten visits, rotate gatherings, or replace formal rituals with simpler meals.
Yet even as formats change, certain symbols endure.
The deep bow.
The shared meal.
The steaming bowl of tteokguk on a winter morning.
These remain constant.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.