Serena - The Traditions of Chinese New Year in South Korea Part 2

Tteokguk
If you want to try making a traditional New Year dish, the Ichon Global Village in Seoul is a good place. The village will hold a special cooking class on how to cook tteokguk from 10:30 a.m. on Friday. Bring 10,000 won for the cost of the ingredients. If you want to know more about traditional Korean food for the New Year and recipes, click here.

Songpa-gu (district), Seoul, will hold a traditional culture fair to celebrate Lunar New Year's day. The district office will open Seoul Norimadang near Seokchon-hosu (lake) to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and hold various traditional folk games like yunnori, neolttwigi, jegichagi or tuho.
If you want a theater experience with a hint of New Year mood, go to Chongdong Theater in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, where a traditional arts performance entitled "Miso" is being staged. From Jan. 24 to Jan. 27, the theater will offer a special chance for theater-goers to try traditional folk games, han-gwa (traditional Korean cookies), tea and traditional drinks in its lobby. It will also allow 20 visitors every day to try on traditional Korean royal family clothes. The 80-minute performance "Miso" shows the beauty of traditional Korean performing arts – drum dance, fan dance, samullori, pansori and so on. Students wearing the school uniform or those who wear hanbok can get a 50 percent discount. If you come with your children and grandparents (three generations together), your grandparents can get free admission. Tickets cost 40,000 won.

The poster of 'Traditional Music Bundles with Mother'
To feel the rhythm of traditional Korean music with your children, go to the National Theater of Korea, where gugak (traditional Korean music) performances for children are being staged from Jan. 17 to 30. Unlike regular sit-and-watch performances, this one titled "Traditional Music Bundles with Mother" involves a sing-along part featuring both pop and children's songs, which allow the audience to feel and experience traditional Korean rhythms in a friendlier way. In the lobby of the theater, visitors can try playing traditional Korean musical instruments like gayageum (Korean traditional 12-string zither) and haegeum (fiddle-like Korean traditional musical instrument).

Another good place to feel the traditional rhythm is Seoul Namsan Gugakdang. From Jan. 21 to Feb. 28, the theater will present a series of three special gugak performances titled "A winter trip to the sounds of gugak" (unofficial translation) on each of three weekdays. Gugak and dance performances will be held every Wednesday, a mixed show of instrumental and vocal music will be held every Friday and a mixed concert of gugak and Western classical music every Saturday. Several dancers, pansori (Korean vocal narrative style) singers and musicians designated as intangible cultural assets will be on stage. The ticket for each show costs 20,000 won.

Tuho (arrow throwing game)
Meanwhile, a special event will be held during the Seollal holiday in Daejeon, Chungcheongnam-do (South Chungcheong Province). A New Year's Day Festival will be held at Daejeon Science Expo Park from Jan. 25 to Jan. 27 to invite people to experience traditional culture and to celebrate Seollal. The festival programs include a traditional craft making class, traditional science discovery experience and folk games that include pungmul-nori, kite-flying, and hat spinning.
In Daegu, a festival will be held at Dongdaegu station on Jan. 24 from 2 p.m. The festival programs include a 2-kilometer march from Dongdaegu station to Daegu Technical High School, traditional folk games, a pungmul performance and the family musical "My Brother" (unofficial translation).
Remember, these are just some recommendations. So feel free to discover new places near your town where your family can have fun during the country's biggest national holiday.
For more information about New Year's customs, click here.
By Yoon SojungKorea.net Staff Writer