Chinese New Year (the Korean version)
I was supposed to post this entry during the lunar New Year but things are simply busy and more excuses not to sit and compose a decent thing to write about the holiday. So here I go, belatedly sharing how the Chinese or Lunar New year is celebrated.
Growing up in the Philippines, I'm not new to the celebration of Chinese New Year. It's one of the things we look up to back home. Not because I'm Chinese but it's simply an exciting and a colorful event. The dragon dance, Chinese fireworks, the yummy moon cakes, and of course there is the angpao or Chinese money placed in a cute, red envelope. That is how this special event is celebrated in the Philippines.
However, it's a totally different holiday in Korea. Being married to a Korean and now living (back) in Korea, it's only natural that I adhere and follow their customs and culture. And one of that is to celebrate Chinese New Year. The Korean traditional way.
Seolnal or seolal (설날) is a big thing in Korea. Bigger than the real new year, as in the January 1 new year, wherein Koreans go to the mountains or the seas to watch the first sunrise and pray for the best of things for the entire year. However, the lunar new year is the REAL new year for Koreans traditionally. Families gather at the house of the first son of the family (that is if the patriarch of the clan has passed away). Take note though that only the family of the sons come together on this day. It is a custom in Korea that once a woman marries her husband, she then belongs to the family of the man and that means she serves the man's family on this day and Thanksgiving day as well.
The day before the lunar new year, the wives of the brothers and their sons come to the house of the first son to work together and prepare the food for the next day. And I'm one of these women to do the job of preparing nice food for the men and children in the family. I tell you, it's a long. hard and tiring day for a first-timer in the family and in my case, a foreigner. My first year was honestly the hardest because of too many factors. Language, new food and preparation, new people and most of all the labour. I had to do endless dishwashing, peeling and washing of vegetables that some I was not familiar with. And when the cooking is done, I had to help clean the house and prepare for the next day. Seriously, I cried of exhaustion on my first time. I have never worked that hard in my entire life. Ever!
But as the years go by, this year as my 3rd (should be 5th but fortunately my husband and I lived in another country) year to help out and celebrate it with my husband's family, it didn't seem hard as it was the first time. Sure it's still tiring as my husband belongs to the first family. Great though that he is not the first son. I don't even want to imagine myself being the wife of the first son. To give you an idea, my mother-in-law gets sick almost every after a family gathering like this in their home. Poor old woman. So I really can't just sit and relax or excuse myself from helping, much as I wish to. I can't leave my old MIL to work and exhaust herself, together with the aunts to do all the preparation, can I?
Anyway, exhausting and stressful as this may be, it still is a great time for the family to get together and catch up what with the busy lives we all lead.
The worship table or jesa sang. Set by my father-in-law.
There is a specific arrangement for this, which I don't get.
Yohann with his Appa, Haraboji and Halmoni.
All dressed up and ready to receive the other members of the family to start the ancestors' worship.
Before the guests have started arriving, my son was having a sort of a meltdown.
I only wore my hambok for Seolnal after Yohann was born.
The little boss after the guests have left. He is a picture of one relieved host!
Three generation of Songs: My father-in-law is the first son of a first son.
My husband, the youngest of three sons and Yohann, the first grandson.
Generation gap!
