2012 Korean New Year is also known as Seolnal. The New Year is celebrated on the second new moon day after the winter solstice. Originally the Korean New Year is based on a lunar calendar but the Korean also celebrates New Year on the 01 January which is based on the solar calendar. 2012 Korean New Year will be a time for ideal holiday as the celebration continues for three days. This time of the year is a time for family reunion. An ancestral ritual known as charya is performed during New Year by all the family members. All Koreans dress up in a colorful way to greet the Year. The traditional food at this time of the year is known as Tteokguk which is a soup with rice cakes.

Koreans believe in seeing the first ray of the sun at the beginning of the year. So, with their families they travel to the Gangneung and Donghae in Gangwon province at the East Coast. All members in the family get together at this time of the year. The children take blessings of their parent and the elders give money to the young ones in the family. There is a custom to take blessing from ancestors in the family too. They wish each other at New Year with the saying saehae bok man-hi ba-deu saeyo which means Happy New Year.

2012 Korean New Year will be a time to play Folk games. The most common New Year game known as Yutnori is a popular board game and is played especially during New Year. Men and boys in the family play jegi Chagi and fly kites. Children in the family play spun paengi and women play neolttwigi, which allows them to jump on the seasaw.

Traditional food during Korean New Year

The most popular dish of 2012 Korean New Year will be the duk gook which is a soup with rice cakes. Dumplings are also served during New Year. The Korean believes that you don’t grow a year if you don’t have the Duk Gook. Few other dishes prepared at the New Years’ time are:

• Water Kimchi (Mul Kimchi)
• Clam and Scallion Pancakes (Jogae Pa Jon)
• Persimmon Punch (Soo Jeung Ga)

The List of Korean Holiday in 2012

The list below mentions the list of Holidays as per the Korean calendar:

• 1 January New Year's Day
• 8 January Kim Jong-un's Birthday[1]
• 16 February Kim Jong-il's Birthday
• 1st day of 1st lunar month Seollal: Korean Lunar New Year
• 15 April Kim Il-sung's Birthday: Also known as the Day of the Sun
• 25 April Military Foundation Day
• 1 May International Workers' Day
• 5th day of 5th lunar month Surinal
• 27 July Victory Day
• 15 August Liberation Day
• 9 September Independence Day/Republic Day
• 15th day of 8th lunar month Hangawi
• 10 October Party Foundation Day
• 27 December Constitution Day

As per the solar calendar the following days are memorable days:

• Solar New Year's-January 1st
• Independence Movement Day- March 1
• Children's Day- May 5
• Memorial Day- June 6
• Liberation Day- August 15
• Foundation Day- October 3
• Christmas Day-December 25

The following days are considered as memorable as per the Lunar calendar:

• New Year's (Seol-nal)- 1st day of 1st lunar month
• Buddha's Birthday (Seokka Tanshin-il)- 8th day of 4th lunar month
• Harvest Moon Festival (Chuesok)- 14-16th days of 8th lunar month

Few other festivals in Korea

Apart from the Korean New Year there are different other festival at Korea which is celebrated with fun and joy. Few such mentionable festivals are:

• Sokchonje: This day is observed as a holiday two times in a year, at March and August. Traditional staged Orchestra is played as a part of the ritual.
• Harvest Moon Festival: This day is observed as a thanks giving day in Korea.
• Chyongmyo Taeje: To pay tribute to the Kings and Queens of the Chosun Dynast, this day is observed as a holiday.
• Tano Festival, National Folk Arts Festival and Cherry Blossom Festival are also eventful days in Korea.

More on 2012