How Koreans celebrated lunar New Year in Abuja

Thursday, February 3rd is New Year day – that is if you are Korean. The Koreans celebrate two New Year day in a year – one on January 1st, the other for the lunar year, which this time fell on Thursday. The lunar New Year day or seollal is an important day for the Koreans. […]

Thursday, February 3rd is New Year day – that is if you are Korean. The Koreans celebrate two New Year day in a year – one on January 1st, the other for the lunar year, which this time fell on Thursday.

The lunar New Year day or seollal is an important day for the Koreans. The importance is marked by the living and four previous generations of their ancestors. The importance of the event spilled over into Nigeria when the Korean Cultural Centre, Abuja, held a special event to commemorate the day.

The Director of the centre, Mr. Suh Jeong Sun and his lovely wife played host to Korea’s citizens and friends in Nigeria decked in colourful Korean hanbok, traditional Korean attires. It was a very informal affair done the Korean way.

Traditionally, the first thing a Korean does on the New Year day is to receive or offer special greetings to members of the family – because the family is the focus on this day. And this was what happened at the centre’s exhibition hall, where Mr Suh and his wife received greetings from the children present. It was elaborate, as most Korean cultural practices are. The couple sat on the floor and the boys, knelt – first on the right knee, then the left and then prostrate. The girls slid down on their knees, arms outstretched to the sides before bring their hands before their faces as they prostrate before the couple. They then rise and are greeted with “Happy New Year.” The kids had fun having a go at it and their efforts were compensated with token New Year presents, or New Year money as it is called in Korea.

The new year celebrations in Korea is the most important national holiday and in this instance, Koreans in the homeland will enjoy some five days of rest, including the weekends, in which they are expected to travel to their villages to celebrate with friends, family and their ancestors, and to have fun as well.

In Abuja, it was to be a fun filled evening for all those who gathered at the centre. Soon after the New Year greetings were exchanged, the party moved to the tae kwon do hall for traditional Korean games normally associated with the celebrations.

First, adults tried their hands – or foot really, at jegi chegi a game in which a shuttlecock-like object, with many colourful tails, is kicked (quite like juggling a football). The person able to kick it the highest number of times wins. Even those with some football skills found this a challenge and only one lucky young lady managed to kick it thrice. But it was fun watching the multitude swiping at the shuttlecock with their legs.

Kids had fun competing as well and most only managed a kick. Others failed woefully, even those who have been taking tae kwon do lessons at the centre.

Winners were presented colourful prizes and even those who did not triumph got something. Everybody had cause to smile.

Guest then tried their hands at a traditional Korean board game yut nori. Two pairs of women faced off and after a long duel filled with fun and laughter, one pair won and went home with branded Korean wristwatches.

As is tradition, pizza was served along with other snacks and drinks, bringing the evening’s festivities to an end.

Explaining the significance of the event, Mr. Suh said it was especially important since it was the first time the event was being marked at the centre, which was opened last year. He also informed that the celebrations cut across Asia.

“Other countries also celebrate the New Year but each country is different and our country is unique, our cultures are unique. Every new year day every Korean travels back to his native home to greet his parents and then go to the mountain to greet his ancestors,” he says. He added that the day is also special because it means a year has been added to each individual’s life.

Marking the event in Abuja also demonstrates the close ties between the two countries, Mr. Suh concludes.