THE Korean community refers to the Lunar New Year as “Seollal,” which is the most celebrated holiday in South Korea. It’s celebrated to mark the passage into a new year, and it is a time for families to gather together, pay respect to our ancestors, and feast. Seollal’s celebration lasts for three days, starting the day before and ending the day after the Lunar New Year.
Yu Ji Kwang
The week leading up to Seollal in Saipan, we shop for gifts, like fresh fruits or gift baskets, to give to our friends or neighbors. We don’t celebrate Seollal in Saipan as we do in Korea since it isn’t a legal holiday in Saipan. Also, most Korean people in Saipan have their families and relatives in Korea, so we don’t have large family gatherings in Saipan. However, on the day of Seollal, we celebrate by cooking Tteokguk, a rice cake soup, a common Seollal dish prepared at home to share with friends and neighbors. Family members dress up or wear the traditional Korean dress called hanbok and gather in front of a table prepared for the ancestral rite.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the Korean Community of Saipan used to host a Seollal party. Korean businesspeople would donate cash, food, and presents for the festival. We’d have about 400-500 people who would attend and enjoy our Seollal party. Amidst the pandemic, we will keep everyone safe by celebrating at home and calling our families in Korea to catch up on what we’ve missed.
The Korean Community of Saipan would like to wish everyone a Happy Lunar New Year or “Saehae Bok Mani Badeuseyo”! This year, we hope that the pandemic will end, and our visitors will be able to return. From our community to yours, we wish you a safe and wonderful year!
For more information, visit the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers at cnmieconomy.com, on Facebook and Instagram (@cnmigov.economy), or contact them at gceacnmi@gmail.com
Yu Ji Kwang is the chairman of the Korean Community of Saipan.
