2월 13일 Topic

[rachel]

Year after year, the mad holiday rush at Incheon International Airport gets bigger as more families choose to spend Sollal in warmer climates. However, as the gridlock on the highways attest, many consider the Lunar New Year as a time to be spent with loved ones.

Sollal, the first day of the lunar year, falls on Wednesday, Feb. 9, this year. The holidays start the day before and go until Thursday.

Everyone is dressed up in their best clothes, families gather at the ``kunjib (the big house),'' which is usually the home of the eldest male on the father's side of the family. Traditionally, ``hanbok (Korea traditional costume)'' is the ``solbim,'' or attire, worn on New Year's, but nowadays, western attire is acceptable.

In a country with deep conservative roots, the day's festivities in a typical household start early in the morning with the family paying their respects to their ancestors.

Ancestral rites for the deceased are performed in the home. While some visit family graves, others have dropped this formality.


Charye: While ancestral rites are usually carried out late at night, “charye” is performed first thing New Year’s morning. Before an ancestral tablet and sacrificial table full of food offerings, the master of the rite, the eldest male in the family, burns incense and pours wine into small cups to welcome the souls of ancestors. Family members then join the master in bowing. The master then offers the food. At the end of the ceremony, the family bows again. Later, the food on the table is shared by members of the family in the belief that ancestors have left good luck in return for the meal.


Ttokkuk: The staple of the traditional Sollal feast, New Year’s just would not be the same without a bowl of “ttokkuk,” or rice-cake soup. Cut from long bars of rice cake called “karettok” the night before by the women of the family, the pieces are then dried overnight before being dropped into seasoned beef broth and left to boil. Though it is unknown when Koreans started to eat ttokkuk, over the years the hearty bowl of soup has become part of tradition. Symbolically, consumption of the soup adds a year to one’s age. Koreans can calculate their age by the number of bowls eaten


Yut: Four sticks, markers and a board are needed to play “Yut,” a traditional game played on New Year’s Day. Players, divided into two teams, toss the sticks in turn and move the markers around the board according to the position in which the sticks land on the ground. The objective is to get all the team’s markers around the board and home before the opposition.


Sebae: After respect and thanks have been given to ancestors through the charye ritual, it is time for family members to take turns wishing each other prosperity, good fortune and health in the new year. Younger family members do this with single bows to each of the members of the older generation. Adults in return give them “sebetton,” or pocket money - “sebae” translates to “bow” and don to “money.” In the process, adults also say “tuktam,” which are basically remarks wishing younger family members well. Tuktam are also commonly exchanged among friends.


Pokchori: "Chori," or strainers made of rice straws, are bought on New Year’s morning and hung on the walls of each household with red string to bring in “pok,” or good luck.

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[Oriental Medicine] Special Sollal Foods

Sollal, New Year’s Day according to the lunar calendar is just 5 days away, so most people are probably looking forward to get-togethers with family. Apart from the traditional bowing to elders and exchanging of gifts, mouth-watering Sollal foods are one of the high points of this special holiday.

Of course, the most representative food of Sollal is ``ttokkuk,’’ the rice-cake soup prepared with sliced rice cakes, beef, and eggs for garnish, and sometimes with dumplings. As Koreans add one year to their age after eating ttokkuk in Sollal, the food is more special.

Its main ingredient, rice, is considered sweet and neither cold nor warm in oriental medicine. Rice mainly works for harmonizing or helping your stomach, and is additionally good for strengthening bones, increasing the body’s yang and relieving thirst and diarrhea. Except for ttokkuk, there are some other foods made of rice cake, such as ``ttokmandukuk,’’ ``ttokjjim’’ and ``ttokjapchae.’’

In terms of cooking herbs, white roots of balloon flowers, brown brackens and green spinach are usually prepared for the special Sollal table. Sweet and cold bracken is known to remove toxic things built up from heat and water in the stomach and intestines, but makes your legs weaker when you eat too much. Spinach contains lots of vitamins, especially carotene, and minerals, so it is good for children and the old. Also, it’s known to lower blood cholesterol and work against cancer. As I mentioned in previous columns, the root of balloon flowers is one of the most commonly used herbs in oriental medication for dealing with respiratory diseases. It’s good for removing sputum and inflammation of the throat, and relieving coughs.

``Nokdupindaettok’’ or a mung-bean pancake is another delicious traditional Korean food. Nokdu, the main material is regarded as cold in oriental medicine, and it neutralizes all kinds of toxic things, stops thirst and lowers fevers.

Then, what’s for dessert? ``Sikhye’’ and ``sujonggwa’’ are the most representative traditional drinks. Sikhye is a typical Korean sweet beverage made from boiled rice. This Korean style yogurt contains lactic ferments, so is good for lowering hypertension, preventing some diseases in your intestines and strengthening immunity. On the other hand, sujonggwa is a Korean-style fruit punch made from cinnamon, dried persimmons and ginger. Cinnamon is known to expel cold from the body, help the digestive organs and inhibit sweating. Dried persimmons can help the digestive organs, prevent colds, remove phlegm, lower blood pressure and stop diarrhea. Also, ginger is good for colds and digestion.

There’s just one more thing I’d like to remind you of here. You can enjoy a variety of special foods during this holiday, but you shouldn’t get greedy. Unless you take care of your health, you will probably experience some discomfort afterward.

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Folk Games Promoted to Preserve Tradition

People have already begun to celebrate the Feb. 8-10 Lunar New Year holidays, one of the nation’s biggest traditional festivals.

Despite the festive mood, however, many children are likely to spend the long holiday sitting in front of their computers playing online games.

Children these days do not play folk games during the holidays, and many are not used to playing outside with others.

To encourage children and families to experience traditional culture, some governmental and private organizations are providing the public with opportunities to play folk games.

Many folk games existed in the past as every village had its own. But most have been lost over the years.

``Folk games are the product of traditional society. It is natural that folk games disappear, being replaced by others as time goes by. Their disappearance means older examples fail to satisfy newer tastes,’’ professor Han Yang-myeong of Andong National University’s Folklore Department told The Korea Times.

But he pointed out that additional effort should be made to preserve some of the more successful folk games due to their educational value.

``Folk games that require a large number of people or a whole community, like `kanggangsullae,’ (a traditional dance performed by large number of girls) should be continued to help children build a sense of community,’’ Han said.

Fortunately, dozens of folk games have reached the present generation.

Some more well-known games include ``chegi-chagi,’’ tassel kicking; ``yut-nori,’’ a board game played by tossing four sticks into the air; ``paengi-chigi,’’ top spinning; ``tuho,’’ throwing arrows into a barrel from a distance; ``nolttwigi,’’ two people jumping on either end of a seesaw-like arrangement; and ``yon-naligi,’’ kite flying.

Some governmental and private organizations are working to boost people’s awareness of these traditional recreations.

The National Folk Museum of Korea, located in Kyongbok Palace, central Seoul, opens folk game facilities to the public every day. At a plaza in front of the museum, visitors can play chegi-chagi, yut-nori and ``kullongsoe,’’ or rolling an iron hoop with a stick.

``We also provide a class for making kites on Sundays from January to March, and a class for making tofu twice a month. Families and student groups both enjoy the classes,’’ said Kim Mi-kyom, curator of the museum’s culture exchange and education division.

The Worak Folk Game Institution, located in Chechon, North Chungchong Province, also provides open ground for people to experience traditional games outdoors.

``Folk games, mainly played outside, are good for children’s physical and mental development,’’ Park Nam-byong, head of the institution, said.

The 8-year-old institution is often visited by children’s groups, such as the YMCA and Boy and Girl Scouts. Family groups can also visit on specified days.

The institution offers over 100 programs according to the season, with courses lasting for one, two or three days. Currently, children can try traditional sledding on a frozen river and making rice cakes with ``ttokme,’’ a traditional hammer-shaped tool.

In spring and autumn, participants can gather corn, potato, sweet potato and fruit in the fields, as well as learn how to ride a horse and how to dye clothes with mud.

Second-generation overseas Koreans also visit, with some staying for up to two weeks, Park said.

He said children enjoy the folk games and traditional culture very much, some even refusing to go home.

``Children these days only know how to play alone. Through the games we provide, they can develop social skills and learn how to play with others. And they repeat the games with school friends after going home,’’ Park added.

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Palaces Open Up for Sollal

If you are looking for something to do during the Lunar New Year (``Sollal’’) holiday, museums and palaces may be your best bet.

Most of the palaces and royal mausoleums will be open to the public throughout the holidays for free. Visitors will be able to enjoy folk games, such as ``nolttwigi,’’ or a Korean-style seesaw, and ``tuho,’’ a game of throwing arrows into a small barrel.

The National Folk Museum will present ``Pukchong saja-norum,’’ a traditional mask dance, and ``pungmulnori,’’ a traditional percussion performance, on Feb. 8. On Sollal, visitors will see ``Songpa sandae-nori,’’ another folk mask dance, and a traditional outdoor performance titled ``Ttongbyorak,’’ meaning ``a bucket of manure’’ in Korean.

The museum will host a shamanistic ritual to celebrate the New Year, inviting Lee Su-ja and Lee Yong-hi, two shamans who have been designated Intangible Cultural Properties.

In and around the museum, children will have the rare opportunity to experience making traditional masks, kites and ``sottae,’’ a wooden bar used in shamanistic rituals. On Feb. 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the museum will hold a special party for foreigners at its Children’s Folk Museum building. There, ``ttokkuk,’’ a seasonal soup made with rice cake, will be offered to foreign residents and teach the visitors traditional mask dances.

Namsangol Traditional Korean Village in central Seoul also plans to show a traditional outdoor performance, hold a concert of traditional songs and give lectures on Korean etiquette throughout the holidays.

In the Seoul Museum of History, visitors will be able to enjoy sleigh rides and ``paengi-chigi,’’ or top spinning, on Feb. 10. There will also be a traditional performance using leaves as musical instruments.

The Korean Folk Village in Yongin, south of Seoul, will present a mock traditional wedding ceremony, old-fashioned juggling and a ``nongak,’’ a farmers’ group folk music performance from Feb. 8 to 13.

Visitors will have the opportunity to fly kites and make ``chori,’’ a traditional cooker made of rice-straw.

On Cheju Island, the Korean People’s Artist Federation will hold a ``gut,’’ or shamanistic ritual, and other cultural performances in front of city hall from Feb. 3-4.

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Warm-up questions

1. Be a reporter and tell us about recent news.

2. When something happens to us, we sometimes feel disappointed with ourselves rather than with the matter itself. For example, we sometimes feel unsatisfied with our behaviors or personality when we are in some situations. Do you ever have those kinds of experiences? If so, when and why do you think so?

Main questions

1. I hope you had a nice time with your family during the holidays. How did you spend the long holidays? Did you do anything special? If you have any good ideas about hanging out with family during the holidays like "Sollar", why don't you recommend some to us?

2. Every household prepares some food for the family during the holidays. Even though we prepare almost the same kinds of food at every house, I think the way of cooking might be a little different. Tell us your family’s own recipes for traditional food, and, if your family prepares any other special food for the holidays, introduce the food to us.

3. During our childhood years, we always looked forward to "Sollar", because it was a special chance to receive a certain amount of money from adults after our deep bow to them. Like this, There are some of the special memories we have of “Sollar”. Why don't we have a nice time by talking about some of our unforgettable memories?