On 17th February 2026, South Korea will come to a near standstill as millions of people embark on one of the world’s largest annual human migrations. Roads will jam with traffic, train tickets will have been sold out for weeks, and airports will overflow with travellers. This massive movement has a single purpose: returning home for Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, the most important traditional holiday in Korean culture. For three days, families will gather to honour ancestors, share elaborate meals, play traditional games, and celebrate the turning of the lunar calendar in customs that stretch back over a millennium.
The Origins: Ancient Roots in the Three Kingdoms
Detailed records of Seollal customs are traced back to the Silla Dynasty, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea that existed from 57 BC to 935 AD. According to historical records, during the Silla period, people exchanged New Year’s greetings on the first day of the year, and the king hosted grand feasts to celebrate the day with people and held ceremonies to honour the deities of the sun and the moon.
The Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) records that King Goi of Baekje performed rituals to deities in the first month, and during the reign of King Chaekgye, people conducted rituals in the first month of the year for the ancestral king Dongmyeong. This suggests that ancestor veneration during the lunar new year dates back at least 1,500 years.
Throughout the Goryeo (918-1392) and Joseon (1392-1897) periods, Seollal remained a significant holiday. Traditionally, from Seollal to Jeongwol Daeboreum (the first full moon of the lunar new year), a continuous festive period was observed, during which certain activities like debt collections were avoided.
The Name: What “Seollal” Means
The word “Seollal” (설날) itself carries layers of meaning. One widely accepted theory suggests that it is derived from the term ‘설,’ which carries meanings like ‘new,’ ‘unfamiliar,’ and ‘not accustomed,’ combined with the word ‘날,’ meaning a day. Essentially, Seollal means “the new day” or “the unfamiliar day”, a fresh beginning.
The pronunciation is notable: while written as 설날 (seolnal), it’s pronounced “Seollal” due to Korean phonetic rules. When an ㄴ sound follows a ㄹ sound, the pronunciation changes to ㄹ to make it easier to say.
A Holiday Suppressed and Restored
Seollal’s status as a national holiday has had a turbulent history, reflecting Korea’s complex modern past. Following Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945) and through much of South Korea’s authoritarian period, the celebration of Seollal was discouraged or even suppressed.
After the liberation of Korea in 1945 and prior to the Korean War in 1950, the provisional Korean government designated the period from 1st to 3rd January of the Gregorian calendar as a public New Year holiday. The traditional lunar new year was pushed aside in favour of the Western solar calendar’s 1st January.
But Koreans never forgot their traditional celebration. In 1980s, South Korea, there was widespread opinion among South Koreans that Seollal should be re-designated as a national holiday, with factors including respecting cultural traditions, removing remnants of Japanese colonial rule, and the South Korean dictatorship period.
In response, the South Korean government declared that Seollal was a folk day from 1985 to 1988, and in 1989, the Roh Tae-woo administration accepted public opinion that the old New Year’s Day should be revitalised, designating the original New Year Seollal as both the official Korean New Year and a national holiday.
This restoration represented more than just adding a holiday to the calendar; it was a reclaiming of Korean cultural identity after decades of suppression.
The Great Migration Home
Today, Seollal is celebrated as a three-day holiday spanning the day before, the day of, and the day after the lunar new year. The result is one of the world’s most remarkable annual migrations.
While Christmas in Korea is usually a time for celebrating with friends or for going on dates, Seollal, like Chuseok, is more of a family-based celebration, with many Koreans traveling back to their family homes during this period. The exodus from cities like Seoul to hometowns across the country creates traffic that must be seen to be believed.
Roads will be very busy during this time of year, and train, bus, and airplane tickets will either be sold out or very expensive. Some families begin planning their travel months, knowing that last-minute bookings are nearly impossible.
The importance placed on this family gathering cannot be overstated. Koreans will travel across the country, and even from overseas, to be home for Seollal. Missing this reunion is culturally significant; it means missing the most important family event of the year.
Charye: The Ancestral Memorial Ceremony
The centrepiece of Seollal is charye (차례), an ancestral memorial ceremony that represents one of the most important Confucian rituals in Korean culture. The day begins with 차례, a ceremonial rite to honour ancestors, where families set a low table with meticulously arranged dishes as a tribute.
Though the food prepared for the ceremony of charye differs by region, the most common varieties are rice, soup, meat, seafood, liquor, fruit, and vegetables. The arrangement of these foods follows specific rules passed down through generations, with each item placed in a particular position on the table.
Preparing for charye is an enormous undertaking. Much like Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving), people spend days preparing large quantities of food for Seollal, sometimes resulting in what is called “Myung Cheol Chung Hu Kun” or “Post-Holiday Trauma”. This exhaustion can stem from the intensive food preparation, long-distance travel, and the physical and emotional demands of hosting or participating in extended family gatherings.
Families traditionally come together at the oldest male relative’s home for the ceremony. Once the table is set, family members bow deeply to show respect and express gratitude to their ancestors for the guidance and protection of their ancestors. After the bowing ritual, the family shares the food that was offered to the ancestors, a practice called eumbok, believing that in consuming it they receive ancestral blessings for the year ahead.
Sebae: Bowing to Elders and Receiving Blessings
After 차례, the younger family members will perform 세배, the action of kneeling on the ground to give a deep bow to their elders while wishing them health and happiness in the new year. This ritual, called sebae (세배), is one of the most beloved aspects of Seollal, particularly for children.
Dressed in traditional clothing, people wish their elders (grandparents, parents and aunts and uncles) a happy new year by performing a deep traditional bow and saying the words ‘saehae bok mani badeuseyo’ (새해 복 많이 받으세요, ‘Please receive a lot of good fortune for the New Year.’)
The bow itself is formal and requires proper technique. The person performing sebae kneels on the ground and bows so deeply that their hands touch the floor, a gesture signifying deep respect and filial piety.
Elders typically reward this gesture by giving children New Year’s money, or “pocket money” called Sebaet Don (usually in the form of crisp paper money) in silk bags made with beautiful traditional designs, as well as offering words of wisdom (dŏkdam). For Korean children, collecting sebaetdon from various relatives is one of the highlights of Seollal, much like Western children receiving presents at Christmas.
Many families dress in hanbok (한복), traditional Korean clothing, while performing sebae. The colourful silk garments add visual splendour to the ceremony and connect modern Koreans to their cultural heritage.
Tteokguk: The Soup That Adds a Year to Your Life
No Seollal is complete without tteokguk (떡국), rice cake soup, the holiday’s signature dish. The main dish eaten on New Year’s Day in South Korea is tteokguk, a traditional soup consisting of rice cakes (tteok) most commonly served in a beef-based broth.
The soup holds deep symbolic meaning. The tteok is made by steaming glutinous rice flour and shaping the dough into long ropes that signify “an expansion of good fortune in the new year.” The rice cake ropes are then sliced into thin, oval shapes thought to resemble yeopjeon (엽전), a traditional Korean currency. The white colour of the rice cakes is also thought to represent “purity and cleanliness”.
Most remarkably, Korean people believe that eating tteokguk signifies adding another year to your life as well. In Korean age-reckoning tradition, everyone becomes one year older on Seollal, regardless of their actual birthday. Eating tteokguk symbolises this aging, prompting the humorous tradition of children attempting to eat multiple bowls to grow older faster, though this doesn’t actually work!
Its origins can be traced back to the 19th century from the mention of tteokguk in the “Dongguk Sesigi”, a book on traditional Korean customs, where the dish was said to be “prepared during ancestral rites on the first morning of Lunar New Year”.
Traditional Foods and Feasting
Beyond tteokguk, Seollal features an abundance of traditional foods. Savory pancakes called jeon (전) are typically included in the Korean New Year’s feast, made with various fillings such as meat, seafood, and vegetables. Popular varieties include shredded beef (yukjeon; 육전), oysters (guljeon; 굴전), kimchi (kimchijeon; 김치전), and green onion (pajeon; 파전).
Japchae (잡채), glass noodles stir-fried with vegetables and meat, is another staple of the Seollal feast. Regional variations exist throughout Korea, with northern regions favouring certain dishes while coastal areas emphasise seafood preparations.
The quantity and variety of food prepared for Seollal is staggering, requiring days of shopping, preparation, and cooking. This culinary labour often falls disproportionately on women in the family, contributing to the “post-holiday trauma” some experience after the celebrations end.
Traditional Games and Activities
After the ceremonies and feasting, Seollal features traditional folk games that have been passed down through generations. These games provide entertainment while reinforcing cultural traditions and community bonds.
Yunnori (윷놀이) is a traditional board game played with four wooden sticks that are tossed like dice. The game involves moving pieces around a board based on how the sticks land. Families often play yunnori together, with multiple generations participating.
Neolttwigi (널뛰기) is a traditional Korean seesaw game where two people, usually women or girls, jump on either end of a long wooden board to propel someone standing on the other side into the air. This game was historically popular among women who were confined to their homes and used neolttwigi as a way to see over courtyard walls.
Jegichagi (제기차기) involves kicking a small object wrapped in paper or cloth, similar to hacky sack, keeping it in the air as long as possible without using hands.
Yeonnalligi (연날리기), or kite flying, has been a traditional folk game passed down since ancient times in Korea, popular throughout various regions during the Lunar New Year, symbolising the casting away of bad luck for the new year.
Paengi chigi (팽이치기), the spinning top game, was historically played by children who carved tops from wood and played on frozen surfaces like rivers, ponds, and rice paddies during the cold winter.
These games serve multiple purposes: they entertain, teach traditional skills, bring families together, and connect modern Koreans to their cultural past.
Seollal in North Korea
Interestingly, Seollal is celebrated differently in North Korea. In North Korea, the celebration of Seollal is encouraged by the state to emphasise Korean folk traditions, with historical programs broadcast on TV, and local authorities organising mandatory activities such as kite flying and spinning tops.
However, unlike in South Korea, 1st January is actually considered the more important holiday to celebrate the New Year, when North Koreans do Sebae. The greeting also differs, instead of the South Korean “saehae bok mani badeuseyo,” it’s customary to say “새해를 축하합니다,” or “Congratulations on the new year”.
On New Year’s morning, it is compulsory for all North Koreans to visit statues or portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, adding a political dimension absent in the South. Additionally, there is no widespread travel due to the lack of freedom of movement inside the country, making it extremely difficult for North Koreans to go from one city to another.
Despite these differences, traditional foods like tteokguk, traditional games, and family gatherings remain central to North Korean Seollal celebrations.
Modern Evolution and Simplified Traditions
While Seollal traditions remain deeply important, modern Korean society has adapted some practices. Many younger Koreans, particularly those living in cities, observe simplified versions of traditional customs. Some families conduct abbreviated charye ceremonies or choose modern clothing over hanbok. Others substitute easier-to-prepare dishes for labour-intensive traditional foods.
Yet the core values remain unchanged. Family reunion, respect for elders, honouring ancestors, and marking the turning of the year continue to define Seollal’s essence. Even as specific practices evolve, the fundamental importance of the holiday endures.
Experiencing Seollal as a Visitor
For international visitors to Korea during Seollal, the holiday presents both challenges and opportunities. Most shops, restaurants, and businesses close for the three-day period, which can be inconvenient for tourists. The massive travel disruptions make getting around difficult.
However, this also offers unique opportunities. Seoul’s five grand palaces, Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung, and Gyeonghuigung, often offer free admission during Seollal and host special cultural performances, traditional games, and ceremonies. Visitors can watch the elaborate Royal Guard Changing Ceremony at Gyeongbokgung and participate in folk activities.
Theme parks like Lotte World and Everland create special Lunar New Year atmospheres with parades featuring traditional dance and characters dressed in hanbok. The parks are often less crowded during Seollal as Korean families stay home for celebrations.
Museums and cultural centres offer special Seollal programming, allowing visitors to learn about Korean traditions through hands-on experiences like making tteokguk, playing yunnori, or trying on hanbok.
Seollal stands as the most significant celebration for Koreans, and its importance transcends mere tradition. The holiday represents Korean cultural identity, family values, and continuity with the past. After decades when Seollal was suppressed or discouraged, its restoration as a national holiday symbolised Korea’s reclamation of its cultural heritage.
For Korean families scattered across the country and around the world, Seollal provides an annual touchstone, a guaranteed time when family will gather, when traditional foods will be shared, when ancestors will be honoured, and when Korean identity will be reaffirmed through ritual and celebration.
The holiday also serves practical social functions. In a rapidly modernising society where young people often move far from home for education and careers, Seollal ensures regular family connection. The multi-generational gathering allows elders to pass down cultural knowledge, stories, and values to younger generations who might otherwise lose touch with their heritage.
A Celebration of Continuity and Change
As South Korea prepares for Seollal 2026 on 17th February, the holiday will look both ancient and modern. Families will prepare tteokguk using recipes passed down through generations, but they’ll coordinate travel plans via smartphone apps. Children will perform traditional sebae bows, then post photos to social media. Ancestral ceremonies will honour relatives who died centuries ago, conducted in homes equipped with the latest technology.
This blending of old and new characterises modern Korean culture and reflects Seollal’s essential nature. It honours the past while embracing the present, maintains tradition while adapting to change, and insists that even in our high-tech, globalised world, some things remain timeless: family, respect, gratitude, and the turning of seasons.
When millions of Koreans travel home for Seollal, when families gather before ancestral tables, when elders offer wisdom and children receive sebaetdon, when tteokguk steams in pots across the nation, they participate in rituals that connect them to ancestors stretching back over a millennium. In eating tteokguk and symbolically growing one year older together, Koreans reaffirm their connection to family, culture, and the endless cycle of time that brings both change and continuity.
Saehae bok mani badeuseyo, may you receive much fortune in the new year!
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