Seorak mountain - photos by Korea Tourism Organization ()
Did you know that Koreans celebrate the New Year twice? The first is marked Jan. 1 according to the solar calendar and it’s celebrated in most other countries. The second celebration, Seollal, happens later depending on the lunar calendar. Usually, Seollal takes place at the end of January or early February. So, the entire month of January is a festive one for Koreans.
Below are some of the fun activities you’ll find happening in Korea on or around New Year’s and Seollal.
1. Watch New Year’s bell ringing ceremony On Dec. 31, similar to how Americans watch the ball drop live from Times Square, Koreans countdown and watch a bell-ringing ceremony at Bosingak Pavilion in Jongno, Seoul. The mayor of Seoul, government officials and citizen representatives are invited to toll the bell 33 times to wish for peace and luck of the nation and its people in the new year. The ceremony is streamed live on TV and YouTube, so many Koreans tune in from home while enjoying delivery food like fried chicken and pork feet with their families. Bosingak
Famous spots for bell ringing You don’t have to head to Seoul for the bellringing as there are a lot of New Year’s Eve bell-ringing events all over the country. Here is the list of the most famous spots to (literally) ring in the new year!
Seoul: Bosingak Pavilion in Jongno
Gyeonggi-do: Peace Bell Pavilion in Imjingak
Daegu: National Bond Compensation Movement Memorial Park
Busan: Jonggak Pavilion in Yongdusan Park
2. Admire year’s first sunrise On the first morning of the New Year, many Koreans head to the mountains or to the seaside to wish for a prosperous year with their loved ones. To catch the sunrise, people usually leave home at 3 or 4 a.m. to make it on time to their destination.
Mt. Bukhansan, Seoraksan, and Jirisan are the famous mountains to see the sunrise, but because the weather at the top can change unpredictably, going to the sea is preferred. The most famous sunrise seaside attractions have festivals serving free New Year’s foods and playing traditional instruments. (Top left) Ganjeolgot Cape, (top right) Seongsan Ilchulbong, (bottom left) Jeongdongjin Beach, (bottom right) Pohang
Famous spots for Sunrise Festivals
Gangneung: Jeongdongjin Station
Dangjin: Weamok Village
Pohang: Homigot Sunrise Square
Ulsan: Ganjeolgot Cape
Busan: Yongdusan Park or Haeundae Beach
Jeju: Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak)
3. Eat tteokguk Tteokguk is a traditional rice cake soup eaten during both New Year’s and Seollal. The soup features long rice cakes meant to represent long life and health, which are sliced during the cooking process to look like coins and represent wealth. In other words, tteokguk can be seen as a food eaten while wishing for longevity, health, and good fortune in the new year.
According to the Korean age system, everyone turns one year older on Jan. 1 instead of on their actual birthday. For that reason, Koreans say that if you eat tteokguk, you’re becoming one year older. From June 2023, the Korean government has decided to use only international standards instead of the Korean age system.
Check out tteokguk recipe here.
4. Go to a bathhouse During the New Year’s season, Koreans go to the local bathhouses to enjoy a long bath and start the year with a fresh, clean body. By scrubbing the body to get rid of the old dead skin and completing the body care ritual, Koreans believe it can refresh the old mentality and mindset. Visiting a bathhouse once a month or every other week is a common activity for many Koreans.
During Seollal, many Koreans head to bathhouses with their relatives and enjoy chatting in the hot tubs, sauna and help scrub each other’s backs. This is especially true for the families with senior parents or elderly grandparents who need extra help washing up.
5. Visit a fortune teller It’s true that the season is one full of hope and well wishes, but some worry about what the new year will bring. What if you could figure it out early in the year? Many Koreans seek out shamans or psychics to ask for their yearly fortune at the beginning of the year.
Despite some difference between shamans who claim to have spiritual power by serving spirits and psychics who study the fortune-telling theory, they both use four pillars of destiny (Saju 사주) as fortune tellers. According to this belief, the fate of a person can be predicted by reading the combination of various factors such as the time, day, month and year of birth, current age and the year of the Chinese zodiac animal. From ancient times until now, many Koreans rely on fortune tellers to solve their life problems instead of going to an expert with scientific knowledge.
