Korean Cultural Centre in India celebrates Lunar New Year 'Seollal' with a special event
2026-02-27The Korean Cultural Centre India hosted a Seollal (설날), the Lunar New Year, celebration on February 17, 2026 (Tuesday), at the Daecheong Maru (대청마루), the cultural centre’s main auditorium. The event brought together students of the King Sejong Institute, New Delhi, along with other attendees, to celebrate and experience various traditions associated with Seollal, the New Year of the traditional Korean lunar calendar. Around 90 participants, including myself, took part in the celebrations.
Seollal (설날), also known as the Lunar New Year, is one of the most significant and widely celebrated traditional festivals in Korea and typically lasts for three days. Symbolizing hope, renewal, and well wishes for the year ahead, Seollal marks the first day of the Korean lunar calendar and is deeply rooted in family values, respect for elders, and shared aspirations for the future.
The experiential event offered a meaningful and immersive cultural program that helped participants understand the cultural importance of Seollal and the traditions associated with it. As a participant, I was fortunate to take part in an enriching cultural exchange that reflected how traditions in both Korea and India share a spirit of new beginnings through symbolic rituals and shared values of connection and hope.
The celebration began with an introductory session that explained the cultural background and significance of Seollal, guiding participants through the meanings behind its traditions that they would soon experience firsthand, and offering a broader understanding of how the Lunar New Year is celebrated in Korea.
The first Korean tradition introduced to us was sebae (세배), the ritual bow performed by younger people to show respect to elders during the New Year. The session began with a demonstration by the teachers and a few students, allowing us to observe the correct posture and etiquette associated with the bow. Alongside this, we were also introduced to deokdam (덕담) , the exchange of words of blessing that embodies the spirit of encouragement and goodwill central to Seollal.
After learning about these traditions, we donned Hanbok, the traditional Korean attire, selected by the staff at the Korean Cultural Centre as part of the celebrations. Dressed in Hanbok, we then practiced the sebae bow ourselves and greeted our teachers with the traditional New Year’s blessing, “새해 복 많이 받으세요” (Saehae bok mani badeuseyo), meaning “May you receive a lot of good fortune in the New Year.” By performing the ritual ourselves, we gained a deeper understanding of the customs and values associated with the Korean Lunar New Year. All attendees enthusiastically participated in the experience and took numerous photographs, adding a visual and experiential layer to the cultural immersion.
A central highlight of this year’s celebration was the New Year Wish-Making Ceremony, where participants engaged in a lunar-inspired practice of making wishes to the full moon that encouraged thoughtful reflection, gratitude, and the expression of hopes for the year ahead.
With a luminous image of the full moon projected on a large screen, recreating the atmosphere of the first full moon of the lunar year, traditionally associated with new beginnings, we were invited to express gratitude, reflect on our personal goals, and write down our hopes for the future on special wish cards. After writing our wishes, we hung the cards together on a shared rope, symbolizing unity and a shared sense of anticipation for the year ahead. This collective gesture transformed individual reflections into a moment of togetherness, offering insight into how Seollal brings personal traditions and shared optimism together.
The event concluded with the centre treating participants to tteokguk, the traditional rice cake soup eaten during Seollal, prepared by chefs at the centre’s Dalgrak Café. It is believed that eating a bowl of tteokguk signifies growing one year older and welcoming a fresh start in the New Year. Sharing the meal provided a quiet moment of reflection, allowing us to exchange impressions and discuss our experiences from the celebration.
Hwang Il Yong, Director of the Korean Cultural Centre India, shared his aspirations for the celebration, noting that Seollal is not only about welcoming a new year but also about reflecting on personal hopes and sharing them with others. He expressed his hope that the event would convey the true essence of Seollal to Indian participants while showcasing Korea’s rich cultural heritage, and emphasized that such gatherings serve as meaningful opportunities for cultural exchange, highlighting how, despite cultural differences, the universal desire for happiness, peace, and prosperity connects people across cultures. He further noted that through such experiences, the centre aims to deepen the cultural bond between Korea and India.
Overall, the celebration was a memorable experience that offered me deeper insight into one of Korea’s most important traditional festivals. Seollal is not merely a holiday but a meaningful occasion centred on respecting elders, reflecting on personal growth, sharing hopes, and strengthening bonds within families and communities. Through this experience, I was also able to recognise cultural parallels between Korea and India, where lunar traditions and the symbolism of the moon hold deep significance and festivals often mark new beginnings through family gatherings, traditional foods, and shared rituals. For me, participating in the celebration highlighted how such carefully curated cultural initiatives that combine tradition with participatory experiences contribute to a deeper appreciation of Korean culture among Indian audiences, while also encouraging meaningful cross-cultural understanding and connections between people. Experiencing the essence of Seollal in this way allowed me to engage with Korean culture more profoundly, standing as a testament to the enduring ties and shared values that connect Korea and India.
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