When is the Korean New Year?
Korea's Spring Festival (설날, Seollal) is one of the most important traditional festivals in Korea. It is similar to the Chinese Spring Festival, but the dates and celebration methods are different. This article will give you a detailed introduction to the time, customs and hot topics of Korean Spring Festival in recent years.
1. Date of Korean Spring Festival
The date of the Korean Spring Festival is the same as the Chinese Spring Festival, both are calculated based on the lunar calendar, usually at the end of January or early February in the Gregorian calendar. The following are the specific dates of the Korean Spring Festival in recent years:
| years | Korean Spring Festival Date (Lunar Calendar) | Gregorian calendar date |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | The first day of the first lunar month | February 10 |
| 2025 | The first day of the first lunar month | January 29 |
| 2026 | The first day of the first lunar month | February 17 |
The Korean Spring Festival holiday usually lasts for three days, including New Year's Eve, the first day of the lunar month, and the second day of the lunar month. The Korean Spring Festival holiday in 2024 will be from February 9th to February 11th.
2. Korean Spring Festival customs
The customs of the Korean Spring Festival have many similarities with the Chinese Spring Festival, but they also have their own unique traditions. The following are the main customs of Korean Spring Festival:
| custom | describe |
|---|---|
| Worship ancestors (차례, Charye) | Koreans will hold a sacrificial ceremony on the morning of the Spring Festival, offering food and wine to express respect for their ancestors. |
| New Year greetings (세배, Sebae) | The younger generation will bow down to their elders and the elders will give the younger generation lucky money (세뱃돈, Sebae Don). |
| Eat rice cake soup (떡국, Tteokguk) | Rice cake soup is a traditional Korean Spring Festival food that symbolizes growing older in the new year. |
| Wearing Hanbok (한복, Hanbok) | Many Koreans wear traditional hanbok during the Spring Festival to add to the festive atmosphere. |
3. Recent hot topics
The following are hot topics related to the Korean Spring Festival in the past 10 days (as of February 2024):
| topic | heat index | Main content |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Korean Spring Festival Return Home Wave | ★★★★★ | South Korea expects more than 30 million people to return home during the Spring Festival holiday, posing huge traffic pressure. |
| Spring Festival Special Program | ★★★★ | Major TV stations in South Korea have launched special Spring Festival variety shows and TV series, such as "Running Man" Spring Festival special. |
| Spring Festival travel recommendations | ★★★ | The Korea Tourism Organization recommends domestic tourist attractions during the Spring Festival, such as Gangwon Province Ski Resort and Jeju Island. |
| Food prices rise during Spring Festival | ★★★ | Due to increased demand during the Spring Festival, the prices of traditional Korean foods such as rice cakes and Korean beef have risen sharply. |
4. Comparison between Korean Spring Festival and Chinese Spring Festival
Although the Korean Spring Festival has many similarities with the Chinese Spring Festival, there are still some differences in the celebration methods and customs. Here are the main comparisons between the two:
| Comparative item | Korean Spring Festival | Chinese New Year |
|---|---|---|
| holiday length | Usually 3 days | Usually 7 days |
| traditional food | Rice cake soup (떡국) | Dumplings, rice cakes, etc. |
| New Year greetings | kneel down (세배) | bow or bow |
| New Year's money | White envelope (세뱃돈) | red envelope (red envelope) |
5. Summary
Korean Spring Festival is a festival full of tradition and family atmosphere. Although it has many similarities with the Chinese Spring Festival, its unique customs and cultural connotations make it the most important moment of the year for Koreans. As the Spring Festival in 2024 approaches, Korean society is actively preparing to welcome this grand festival.
If you plan to visit South Korea during the Spring Festival, you might as well experience the local Spring Festival customs and feel the strong festive atmosphere!
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