For the year 2018, Lunar New Year begins on Friday, February 15th. Occasionally, about every 24 years, Korean New Year will occur one day after Chinese New Year because of the new moon between Korea’s midnight (15:00UTC) and China’s midnight (16:00UTC). Seollal shares similarities with Lunar New Year celebrations in other Asian cultures, such as Chinese, Vietnamese, and Mongolian New Year festivities. While the essence of marking a new lunar cycle is shared, each culture brings its unique customs, foods, and symbols to the celebrations. The day of the Lunar New Year, which is called Seollal in Korean, falls on Jan. 29 this year, with days off on the 28th and 30th as well, plus a one-time temporary holiday on the 27th to connect Is Korean New Year the same as Chinese New Year? How do you wish Happy New Year in Korean? What do you give a Korean on New Year? In addition to yummy food and family reunions, another reason that Seollal is a special holiday is the custom of giving and receiving gifts. Seollal (Korean Lunar New Year) and Chinese New Year are on the same date, but they are distinct celebrations associated with different cultures. If you have more questions about Seollal or anything about Korean culture, please leave your questions or comments below. The Koreans have their own Lunar New Year celebration, known as Seollal, which also marks the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese Lunar calendar. These similarities were thanks to conquest and the movement of people between China and Korea over the course of several centuries. Seollal (설날) or Lunar New Year is one of the two biggest holidays in Korea and, rightfully so, as it marks the start of another year. It is celebrated according to the lunar calendar, so the exact dates differ from year to year. This year, it lands on January 29, 2025. Seollal is the celebration of Korean New Year, or more specifically Korean Lunar New Year. Seollal (설날 in hangul) is one of the most important holidays in South Korea along with Chuseok, Korea’s Mid-Autumn Festival . The seventh day of the Lunar New Year (February 4, 2025) is said to be when the Chinese mother goddess, Nuwa, created humanity. Thus, it’s called renri/jan jat (the people’s birthday). Contrary to what many people may think, Lunar New Year is not exclusively a Chinese holiday. True, it follows the Chinese Lunar calendar, but the holiday is celebrated across the entire Lunar New Year, known as Seollal in Korea, is a significant traditional holiday that celebrates the arrival of the new year based on the lunar calendar. This occasion emphasizes family reunions, honoring ancestors, and various cultural rituals, enriching Korean cultural identity. Many Koreans dress up in colourful traditional Korean clothing called hanbok, usually worn for special occasions such as weddings, Korean New Year, child's first birthday, amongst others. [5] However, with modernization and evolving mores in the culture, more people tend to prefer westernized, modern clothing to the hanbok . When Is Seollal Celebrated? Seollal (설날), the Korean Lunar New Year, typically falls in late January or early February, depending on the Lunar Calendar.The exact date changes each year, as it aligns with the first day of the Lunar Calendar, which is based on the cycles of the moon. The 2016 Chinese New Year is on February 8 th, commencing the year of the Monkey. Identified as the most famous element of the Chinese New Year is the 12 year-cycle of the animal zodiac. The Chinese New Year celebrations begin eight days before the New Year. For 2024 the Lunar New Year is Feb. 10 but people gather for the day before and after as well to make it a 3 day celebration. How does Korea celebrate New Years? Korean New Years; Aka 설날 is Koreas Lunar New Year celebration. The Lunar New Year follows the Lunar calendar and thus the date changes each year. Sebae 세배 In North Korea, the lunar New Year was abolished in 1953 following the Korean War and was not revived until 1967. It was designated as a three-day holiday in 2003. After living in China for 3 years as V-Trust Sales Manager and 1 year in Vietnam as V-Trust Country Manager, I am happy to share my experience and feelings, even if, for sure, I don’t know everything and they may not be exhaustive. Chinese New Year and the Vietnamese New Year (called Tết in Vietnam) actually have a lot in common. Unlike the January 1st start-date of the Gregorian calendar, the Korean New Year is aligned with the second new moon following the winter solstice. This places the celebration typically at the end of January or the beginning of February. Current Observance Dates. In recent years, the Korean New Year has fallen between late January and mid-February. The Koreans adopt the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac for the lunar calendar. The lunar calendar runs in a 12-year cycle with each year in the cycle being associated with one zodiac animal (in the order of rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig). The Lunar New Year 2025, also known as Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, starts on January 29, aligning with the first New Moon of the lunisolar calendar. This widely celebrated event welcomes the Year of the Snake, the sixth sign in the Chinese zodiac, symbolizing wisdom, transformation, and intuition. Chinese zodiac: Year of the Snake 2025
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