What Is Seollal? Korean Lunar New Year Explained
10-Second Answer
설날 (Seollal) is Korean Lunar New Year, Korea's other major traditional holiday alongside Chuseok. Families gather, perform 세배 (a formal bow to elders), eat 떡국 (rice cake soup — traditionally eating a bowl means you've gained a year of age), and children receive 세뱃돈, New Year's money, after bowing.
The Basics
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| When | 1st day of the lunar calendar (usually late January to mid-February) |
| Length | A 3-day holiday, like Chuseok |
| Signature food | 떡국 (tteokguk) — sliced rice cake soup |
| Signature custom | 세배 (sebae) — a deep formal bow to elders |
세배 (Sebae): The New Year's Bow
On the morning of Seollal, younger family members perform 세배 — a full formal bow to parents and grandparents, often while wearing 한복 (traditional Korean clothing). It's a direct, physical display of the same age-based respect that shapes honorifics and speech level year-round — just concentrated into one especially formal ritual moment.
새해 복 많이 받으세요.
saehae bok mani badeuseyo.
Happy New Year (literally: receive a lot of luck/blessing in the new year).
Said before or after bowing — the standard Seollal greeting.
세뱃돈 (Sebaetdon): New Year's Money
After performing 세배, children (and often unmarried younger relatives generally) receive 세뱃돈 — cash, traditionally placed in a decorative envelope — from elders. It's one of the most anticipated parts of the holiday for kids, similar in spirit to red envelope money in other East Asian New Year traditions.
떡국 (Tteokguk) and Turning a Year Older
Eating a bowl of 떡국 on Seollal is traditionally tied to turning a year older — there's a common saying that you can't officially become a year older until you've eaten your tteokguk. This connects to the older 세는 나이 (Korean age) system discussed on the age-system page, where everyone's age traditionally ticked up together at New Year's rather than individually on each person's birthday.
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Confusing Seollal with January 1st
January 1st (신정, New Year's Day on the solar calendar) is a minor holiday in Korea. Seollal, on the LUNAR calendar, is the major traditional one.
Mistake #2 — Assuming 세배 is casual
It's a formal, structured bow with a specific posture — not a casual nod. Increasingly, some modern families keep it lighter, but the traditional version is quite formal.
Mini Quiz
1. What is 세배?
2. What do children typically receive after performing 세배?
3. What's the traditional saying about eating 떡국 on Seollal?
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Start today's study →Last updated: 2026-08-10 · Written and reviewed by a native Korean speaker.