#3 Korean-Australians explain '설날' (seollal/seol-nal) |

Seollal (Korean New Year) Traditions
📌 Seollal is celebrated on two dates in Korea: January 1st and the traditional lunar new year.
🍲 A traditional meal prepared is Tteokguk (rice cake soup), which signifies gaining one year of age upon eating it.
🥟 Families often make Mandu (dumplings) together, sometimes resulting in unique shapes depending on the grandparents' hometown.

Seollal Rituals and Etiquette
🎎 A typical activity involves wearing the Hanbok, the Korean traditional clothing, before performing Sebae.
🙇 Sebae is the act of bowing deeply to elders to wish them a Happy New Year (Saehae Bok Mani Badeuseyo).
💵 In return for the bowing and well wishes, elders traditionally give money to the younger generation.

Generational Shifts in Receiving Money
💰 Once individuals start working, the expectation shifts; they may stop receiving money from elders.
💍 Those who are married are generally expected to start giving money to the younger relatives instead of receiving it.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ The word for the holiday is Seollal, often pronounced where the 'n' sound is lost, leading to a spelling that may omit it.
➡️ Tteokguk is essential, as consuming the rice cake soup symbolically marks an individual turning one year older.
➡️ Sebae is the formal bowing ritual where the younger generation pays respect to their elders upon greeting them on New Year's Day.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Feb 25, 2026, 08:29 UTC