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Sol-nal, Korean New Year's

© Susan Johnson-Roehr

You might have noticed that many of the nations located in East Asia threw big New Year celebrations to welcome the arrival of the year 2000. It is true that most countries have adopted the Gregorian calendar and mark the passage of time in accordance with the solar year. But many countries, the Republic of Korea included, also pay respect to the traditional calendar based on the lunar year. Thus, across the Land of the Morning Calm, New Year's Day will be celebrated twice-once according to international convention, and once according to the lunar calendar.

This year, the Korean New Year, or Sol-nal, will fall on our February 5, the first day of the first month of the new lunar year. Also considered the first day of spring, Sol-nal is a day for renewing one's place in the world by honoring ancestors and reestablishing family ties. Koreans try to return to their family homes on this day to participate in New Year's rituals and festivities.

On New Year's Eve, people place straw shovels, sieves or rakes on their doors and walls to protect their families from any evil spirits arriving with the new year. The New Year's day ceremonies begin in the morning with the donning of formal dress (hanbok) by family members. The first component of the day's activities is the rite of charye, or the honoring of the past four generations of ancestors. Food and drink (the exact form of which varies according to regional and family traditions) are offered on a ritual table (charye sang). It is common to see foods arranged according to color (for instance, red food may be on the east side of the table, with white food on the west side of the table). Typically, the food is arranged in the order that it would be eaten during a meal--fruit is placed closest to the living supplicant, to be eaten last (as a dessert) by the ancestral spirits. Rice would be placed on the opposite side of the table as the living, to be eaten first by the ancestors.

Incense is burned, and the living bow before the ancestors in order of family rank. The eldest male makes two deep bows, then a third shallow bow, offering the food and drink to the spirits of the ancestors. The rest of the family follows suite according to rank. It is respectful to turn away from the offerings after this, allowing the ancestors to enjoy the feast without interference. Then the food is cleared and water is offered up.

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