Looking for ways to say Happy New Year in Korean? Do you know how to wish a happy New Year in the Korean language? Do you know how the New Year is celebrated in South Korea? This and other questions will be answered in this article.
We recommend reading: The 12 Valentine's Days in Korea
Table of Contents
How is New Year celebrated in Korea?
In Korea, the New Year is celebrated in two different ways, depending on the calendar used. Solar Korean New Year is celebrated on January 1st, while lunar Korean New Year is celebrated on the day of the first full moon of the year.
During the Korean New Year, people often gather with family and friends, enjoy special meals, exchange gifts, and participate in traditional activities. Some of these activities include:
- "Seol" (설) - Seol is the celebration of the lunar New Year, which is celebrated on the day of the first full moon of the year. During Seol, people often have special meals such as "tteokguk" (떡국), a rice cake soup with slices of glutinous rice, and "jeon" (전), a fried batter with various fillings.
- "Bok Nal" (복날) - Period of three days during the Lunar New Year when people celebrate the end of winter. During Bok Nal, people often eat special foods like "samgyetang" (삼계탕), a chicken soup with glutinous rice and ginseng, and "dongchimi" (동치미), a vegetable soup with winter fruits.
- "Hogmanay" (호그마나이) - Solar New Year celebration in Korea where people usually have special meals, such as "dak galbi" (닭갈비), a dish of chopped chicken and vegetables cooked in a pot, and "gukbap" (국밥), a broth with vegetables and rice. In addition, people also tend to exchange gifts, sing New Year songs, and watch fireworks.
- "Sebae" (세배) - A ritual of reverence in which people greet the elders and superiors with kneeling and deep bows. This is done as a sign of respect and gratitude.
We recommend reading: How do Koreans find their perfect match? relationship in korea
How to say Happy New Year in Korean?
To say "Happy New Year" in Korean, you can use the phrase "Seol-lal hae-bok mani bada-seyo" (설날 행복 많이 받으세요). This phrase means something like "Give you much happiness in the New Year" or "I wish you much happiness in the New Year".
Another option is to use the phrase "Saehae bok mani da-seum nida" (새해 복 많이 받으세요), which means "Be very lucky in the new year" or "I wish you the best of luck in the new year".
Both phrases are used to wish someone well on the Korean New Year, which is celebrated on January 1st in the solar calendar or the day of the first full moon of the year in the lunar calendar.
Other Korean phrases for happy new year are:
- "Happy New Year!" - "I wish you lots of luck in the new year."
- "Receive a lot of luck in the new year and do good in the world."
- "May you receive a lot of luck in the new year and be happy."
- "Happy New Year. I am happy. I am making the world."
How to say Happy New Year in Korean?
To wish "Happy New Year" in Korean, you can use the phrase "Nyeon-mul-eun hae-bok mani da-seum nida" (년말은 행복 많이 받으세요). It can be translated as "Give you a lot of happiness at the end of the year" or "I wish you a lot of happiness at the end of the year".
Another option is to use the phrase "Nyeon-mul-eun seol-lal da-seum nida" (년말은 설날 받으세요), which means "I wish you a happy New Year at the end of the year".
Both phrases are used to wish someone well at the end of the year, which is a time to reflect on the past year and prepare for the new year. It's a time to celebrate with family and friends and make plans for the new year.
