During the rule of Bicheo (also called Soji), 21st ruler of Silla, in 488 AD a number of unfortunate events surrounding an affair between a high ranking person responsible for shrines (宮主) and a noble, that coincided with a specific lineup of Zodiac signs led to the day also being nicknamed Daldo (怛忉). The oldest surviving Korean records of Seollal can be found in the Samguk yusa (三國遺事), compiled in the 13th century. Discontinued practices for worshipping deities from the native folk religion such as the ones of the sun and moon are also mentioned. The earliest records of Seollal celebrations are included in the 7th century Chinese historical works, called the Book of Sui (隋書) and the Old Book of Tang (舊唐書), containing excerpts of national rituals and festivals in Silla in the 7th century. Worshipping events with the celebration of singing and dancing was recorded in Buyeo during what was the 12th month ( 殷正月) of the Chinese calendar at that time. The earliest attestations of the festivals and customs surrounding Seollal are found in the Dongyi section of Volume 30 of the Book of Wei (魏書東夷傳), of the contempotary Chinese historical work called the Records of the Three Kingdoms (三國志). History Celebratory banners in Seoul Adaptation to the Chinese calendar While Korean New Year is generally referred to as Seollal, it has been called by many other names. Gregorian new year on 1 January), also known as Sinjeong ( 신정 新正). 'Seollal' may also refer to Yangnyeok Seollal (Korean: 양력 설날 Hanja: 陽曆설날 lit. 'solar new year' i.e. 'Seollal' generally refers to Eumnyeok Seollal ( Korean: 음력 설날 Hanja: 陰曆설날 lit. 'lunar new year', also known as 'Gujeong' (Korean: 구정 Hanja: 舊正)). In such a case, the New Year falls on the third new moon after the solstice. Seollal generally occurs in January or February on the second new moon after the winter solstice, unless there is an intercalary eleventh or twelfth month in the lead-up to the New Year.

One of the most well known practices in the current day is receiving money from their elders after performing a formal bow, a tradition likely adopted from Confucian customs. China and Japan use different terms for their respective new years, such as 正月 or 元日, which are derived from Classical Chinese.ĭuring this time, many Koreans would visit their family, perform ancestral rites, wear the hanbok (한복, 韓服) / Chosŏn-ot (조선옷, 朝鮮옷), eat traditional food and play traditional folk games. The Korean lunisolar calendar, like most other East Asian calendars such as that of Japan, Mongolia, Vietnam, among others, are all derived from historical variants of Chinese ones such as the Shixian calendar of the Ming dynasty. The Hanja term won-il (月日) is used, when referring to the date of the lunar new year of the Korean calendar itself.

Nal 날 means day in Korean, derived from Old Korean *NAl. The modern Korean word for 'age' – sal is derived from the same origin as seol. Seol, written as (설) in Middle Korean in Hangul, means 'year of age' since it's also the date when Koreans grow a year older. It is one of the most important traditional holidays for ethnic Koreans, being celebrated in both North Korea and South Korea as well as Korean diaspora all around the world. Seollal ( Korean: 설날 RR: Seollal MR: Sŏllal) is a traditional festival and national holiday commemorating the first day of the lunisolar calendar.

Happy lunar new year 2021 in vietnamese