Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, is one of the most significant and enduring traditions in Korean culture. It marks the first day of the lunar calendar, but its meaning extends far beyond a single date. Seollal is a time of renewal, remembrance, and reconnection; a moment when families honor their past while stepping intentionally into a new year.

Ancient Origins of Seollal

The roots of Seollal trace back over 1,500 years. Historical records in the Samguk Yusa note that in 488 CE, during the reign of King Bicheo of the Silla dynasty, people observed the beginning of the lunar new year. This suggests that Seollal existed as a shared social practice even before it was formalized by the state or shaped by Confucian ideology. At its earliest, Seollal functioned as a communal recognition of seasonal change, agricultural cycles, and the passage of time.

Goryeo Dynasty: Fluid Traditions, Shared Meaning

During the Goryeo dynasty, Seollal absorbed Buddhist and Confucian influences, but it remained flexible and regionally distinct. Rituals were practiced differently depending on local customs and family lineages. While ancestor veneration grew in importance, there was no single standardized way to observe the holiday.

Seollal during this period reflected how each family interpreted its relationship to the past. Memory was personal, ritual was adaptable, and tradition remained alive rather than rigid.

Joseon Dynasty: Codifying Ritual and Order

Under the Confucian rule of the Joseon dynasty, Seollal became institutionalized and standardized. Rituals such as 차례 (Charye), ancestral memorial rites, were formalized, along with 세배 (Sebae), the deep bow performed by younger family members to elders. Food arrangements, clothing, and ceremonial order were codified in Confucian texts and manuals.

Seollal became a day where family hierarchy, moral values, and social order were reinforced annually. Through ritual, Joseon society rehearsed ideals of respect, filial piety, and continuity. 

Seollal as Resistance Under Colonial Rule

During the Japanese colonial period (1910–1945), traditional Korean holidays like Seollal were actively discouraged in favor of the Gregorian New Year. Public celebration of Seollal was restricted, and cultural expression was suppressed.

As a result, Seollal became quieter and more domestic. Families observed it behind closed doors, transforming the holiday into an act of cultural resistance. Continuing to bow, prepare ancestral foods, and mark the lunar new year was a way of preserving Korean identity when public affirmation was denied.

After liberation, Seollal was officially restored as a national holiday; reclaiming both time and tradition.

Rituals, Food, and Symbolism

One of the most iconic elements of Seollal is 떡국 (Tteokguk), a rice cake soup made with thinly sliced garaetteok. Traditionally, eating tteokguk symbolizes becoming one year older and beginning the year with purity and a clean heart. The white rice cakes represent clarity and renewal, while the warm broth signifies comfort and continuity.

On Seollal, families often wear 한복 (Hanbok), perform sebae to elders in exchange for blessings and words of wisdom, and spend time playing traditional games like 윷놀이 (Yutnori) or 투호 (Tuho). These practices reinforce intergenerational bonds and create shared memory across age groups.

A Living Tradition

Seollal is not a fixed tradition frozen in time. It is a living record of how Koreans have understood time, family, resilience, and survival across centuries. From ancient agricultural observances to Confucian rituals, from quiet resistance to modern celebrations, Seollal continues to evolve.

At its core, Seollal is about continuity: honoring where you come from while choosing how you move forward.

From all of us at KORELIMITED, Happy Seollal. 福