Korean New Year

By Teah Suhr (grade 9)

Korean New Year usually occurs around late January or February. Because my whole family is fully Korean, we all celebrate the New Year traditions together. My family and extended family always meet at my grandparent's house in Los Angeles. We participate in many activities including bowing to elders and eating significant foods. 

For the Korean New Year tradition, the youngest generation has to wear hanboks and bow to their older generation family members. Hanboks are a traditional piece of clothing for Korean people, which consists of a top, trousers, a skirt, and a coat. 

On Korean New Year day, my family members and I pay our respect towards our ancestors and elder family members. We do this to show our respect towards them, and the gratitude that we have for them. 
Every Korean New Year my family and I eat Tteokguk, otherwise known as Korean rice cake soup. The soup is a dish that consists of broth (guk) and thinly sliced rice cakes (tteok). The soup has a very significant meaning to Korean culture. Eating tteokguk on Korean New Year's is believed to grant good luck for the year, and that is why my family and I choose to eat it the day of Korean New Year.