Korea’s Seasonal Festivals – A Colorful Journey Through the Year

 

Korean National Holidays & Festive Traditions – A Time for Rest and Reunion

In Korea, red dates on the calendar are more than just a day off—they are a gentle pause in the rhythm of life.

National holidays and traditional festivals are not simply times of rest, but moments when Korean people reconnect with family, culture, and meaning.

Through these shared breaks, you can catch a glimpse of how community and tradition are deeply woven into everyday life in Korea.

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Regular Holidays That Set the National Rhythm

Korea has over 15 official public holidays.

Some, like New Year’s Day (January 1), Independence Movement Day (March 1), Liberation Day (August 15), and National Foundation Day (October 3), honor historical milestones.

Others, like Buddha’s Birthday, Hangul Day (celebrating the Korean alphabet), and Christmas, reflect the country’s spiritual and cultural diversity.

For office workers and students, these holidays offer time to breathe.

If a holiday lands next to a weekend, it often becomes a long break—known locally as a “golden holiday”—when travel spikes and popular spots get busy.

These holidays shape the national mood, creating a shared sense of slowing down, even just for a moment.

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Seollal & Chuseok – The Heart of Korean Traditions

The two most important traditional holidays in Korea are Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (Korean Harvest Festival).

Both follow the lunar calendar and are deeply rooted in family values and ancestral respect.

During Seollal:

Families wear traditional clothing (hanbok) and bow deeply in a greeting ritual called sebae to their elders.

Children receive money gifts (sebaetdon), and everyone eats tteokguk (rice cake soup)—believed to symbolize aging one year.

Homes fill with laughter as relatives play folk games like yutnori, sharing stories and seasonal food.

During Chuseok:

Families visit ancestral graves (seongmyo) and prepare a table of food to show gratitude to their ancestors.

Songpyeon, a half-moon shaped rice cake, is made together—filled with sweet ingredients and steamed over pine needles.

It’s a time to honor the harvest, gather under the full moon, and feel thankful.

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Preparing for the Holidays – A Culture in Motion

As holidays approach, traditional markets grow busier, full of seasonal foods and gift sets.

Highways fill with cars as people make their way back to their hometowns, and TV news tracks real-time traffic updates.

For many, holidays mean reunions and warm meals. For others, they’re a chance to rest quietly in the city.

Korean society is evolving, and so are the ways people spend the holidays.

Some families now opt for smaller gatherings or even travel abroad.

But the core spirit—connecting, caring, and pausing together—remains.

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Seasonal Festivals in Korea – Celebrating Through the Year

In Summary

Korean national holidays and traditional festivals are not just breaks from work or school.

They are gentle reminders of rhythm, family, and the value of rest.

Whether it's a quiet street on Buddha’s Birthday or a bustling kitchen on Chuseok morning,

these moments reflect a culture that knows how to slow down, celebrate, and return to what truly matters.