Nigeria Content Online

Thirty four days
after the rest of the world celebrated the New Year, the Korean
Cultural Centre, Abuja celebrated the country’s New Year on Thursday,
February 3. Known as ‘Seollal’, the Korean New Year is the first day of
the lunar calendar.

“We celebrate the
general New Year on January 1, in accordance with the solar calendar,
and then the lunar New Year called ‘Seollal’ which falls on February 3
this year,” Suh Jeong-Sun, director of the centre, offered on why the
country observes two New Years.

For the family

He explained that
‘Seollal’ is a traditional event during which Koreans return to their
hometowns to pay homage to their families. “This year, Seollal holidays
fall on February 2 to 4. And being weekend, it means that most Koreans
will have a five-day break during which they will perform ceremonial
rites and also pay homage to their ancestors.” Jeong-Sun also added
that the lunar New Year is more important to Koreans than the solar New
Year.

As evident during
the event, the family is the centre of attraction during the Korean New
Year. Both living family members and dead ancestors of up to four
generations are celebrated because it is believed they are still on
earth.Jeong-Sun and his wife demonstrated how the New Year is
celebrated in the Asian country at the event. They mounted the stage
and sat Korean style with their feet tucked beneath them, while
children knelt before them to offer traditional bows known as Sebae.
The children’s foreheads touched the ground as they received their
blessings for the New Year.

Seollal games

Though many
traditional family games are associated with the Korean New Year, only
two were played. ‘Yutnori’ is an easy-to-learn game that requires team
work. It is a form of ludo game made up of four players with two on
each side. Marked sticks are used instead of a dice and the game can be
played either on a board or paper.

Children and grown
ups also had fun playing ‘Jegichagi’, a weighted shuttlecock kept aloft
by kicking. The player with the most number of kicks emerges the
winner.Winners and other participants in the games went home with
various prizes including branded wrist-watches, hand fans, watercolour
and cash.

Participants were
taken on a tour of the centre by Jeong-Sun after the games. The tour
ended at the library where they were treated to pizza and Korean
traditional meals including rice cake and ginger drinks.

Latonya, a Nigerian participant, commended the Koreans for seizing
every opportunity to promote their country and culture. She said,
“Honestly, I am impressed. There is a lot for us to learn in what has
happened here today. I don’t know if we have cultural centres abroad.
If we don’t, it’s sad because I think we have more than enough in terms
of cultural heritage to showcase to the rest of the world. I think the
ministries of Culture, Foreign Affairs and of course, Education should
come together and see that we set up cultural centres like these
abroad.”