Seolnal - Lunar New Year

This past weekend Korea (and all of Asia) celebrated the Lunar New Year. This is one of the most important holidays in Korea, called Seolnal. Matt and I were invited to spend the day with Matt's boss's family to celebrate the holiday in true Korean style. The Seolnal celebration began early in the morning with a spirit calling ceremony for deceased antecessors where we bowed deeply three times before the offering table and then opened the front door to allow the antecessors to enter at which time they would go to the table of offering and have a hearty, plentiful meal. This ceremony is called Charye.

See all my Seolnal photos.
The next ceremony performed was the Sebae where the younger bow deeply to their elders and say, 'I wish you good luck for the new year'. Elders often give money to the young people who bowed to them. Out of respect for the tradition and in appreciation for her hard work in preparing all the day's food, Matt and I bowed to halmoni - 'grandma', aka Matt's boss's mother who lives with him and his family as is customary for a mother and her eldest son in Korean tradition. Then I felt tremendously guilty when she gave us money, ￦5,000 (~$5) and insisted that we keep it.

After the traditional ceremonies were over we had breakfast. In Korea, breakfast is the same type of food that you would eat for lunch or dinner, not bagels, cereal, oatmeal, bacon & eggs, or anything else that I'm sure your mind conjures up when you think breakfast as does mine. It was very delicious and fulfilling. Then we played family games like a simple card game called One Card, and a chutes and ladders type game with chute-penalties like having to give the other team back massages or twirling around in a circle with a hand on your nose or writing your name in the air with your butt or singing. It was fun and funny. We had ~more~ food; after all, it was lunchtime.

See all my Seolnal photos.
Stuffed and about rolling, we then went on a 4-hour hike up a nearby mountain called Bukhansan Mountain in northern Seoul, peeking 2700 feet above sea level. Although the views were cloudy the hike itself was a welcomed physical challenge and the natural rock formations were breathtaking. Large granite rocks appeared as though they were about to slide right off the side of the mountain. Bukhansan's steep slopes and rocky paths made for a rather strenuous but invigorating hike. Many knotted ropes were available for maneuvering through the strenuous stretches. This hike was as memorable as my hike up Mt. LeConte (6000+ ft asl) in the Great Smokey Mountains in Tennessee and Old Rag Mountain (3000+ ft asl) in the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

See all my Seolnal photos.
Upon returning from the hike and about 2000 calories lighter, we had dinner and wrapped up the day with some more butt-name writing action, which, curiously enough, were penalties that only Matt and I had to endure. Humm ...

See all my Seolnal photos.