On one of the occasions when Ji Sung's "Kill Me, Heal Me" character Cha Do Hyun dines with the family of his psychiatrist, played by Hwang Jung Eum, the family stops to share Lunar New Year's greetings with each other and the audience. But what exactly is the Lunar New Year and how is it celebrated?
Lunar New Year or Seollal is like Christmas, New Year's and a big birthday party celebrated at the same time. It's a three-day national holiday that often turns into a five-day holiday as people travel to their ancestral homes to honor their ancestors and spend time with their families. On Seollal everyone is one year older, no matter what day they were actually born on.
This year's Seollal marks the beginning of the Year of the Sheep. Celebrities born this year include Goo Hara, CNBLUE singer and "The Heirs" star Kang Min Hyuk, ZE:A's Park Hyung Sik, who appears in "What Happened To My Family," and both singer-actors Sungyeol and Hoya of Infinite. People born in the Year of the Sheep are said to be gentle and calm.
During the holiday people gather for traditional meals that may include tteoguk, which is broth with rice cakes as well as savory pancakes, rib stew and noodles with meat and vegetables. Once you finish your tteoguk you are a year older. That's why some people might ask your age by asking you how many times you have eaten tteoguk.
A family's ancestors are honored during the New Year and some families perform a ritual, which includes setting food out on a table as an offering to the ancestors. Elders are also honored with a deep bow, while children may receive New Year's money as a gift.
The first full moon of the Lunar New Year is considered as important a part of the celebration as New Year's Day is. Games and events are customary on this day with each region of Korea having its favorites. In one region a circle dance symbolizes unity and cooperation between people. In another a traditional game involves spinning a tin with fire inside to wish for a good harvest. Some villages stage rope-pulling battles at night between teams of men and women.
In the Joseon era, on the day of the first full moon of the lunar year, people often stayed up all night with their houses lit by lamps. In "Empress Ki" there's a scene where Ha Ji Won and Joo Jin Mo walk through a lantern festival to observe the first full moon.
Here's hoping the Year of The Sheep is a happy one for all with many more excellent dramas to enjoy.
