설날 Seollal (Korean New Year)
Like any other cultures, Koreans have special food for each feast, and ‘떡국 (ddeokguk: rice cake soup)’ is a special dish for Seollal (Korean New Year in lunar calendar). With aim to maintain tradition (I think), adults tell children one can get one year older only when they eat ddeokguk – Koreans become a year older when it’s New Year, not on their birthdays. So, you can imagine that children, most of whom are eager to be grown-ups, often reply, “then I’m going to even become two years older if I have two bowls of ddeokguk, am I not?”
As we grow up, it becomes obvious that there’s no such thing as the numerical relationship between the numbers of ddeokguk soup and one’s age. However, we all exchange greetings for New Year, besides ‘새해 복 많이 받으세요 (saehae bongmani baduseyo: wish you lots of luck in New Year)’, “have you eaten ddeokguk?” If someone ever doesn’t make it to have this dish, it immediately evokes the other person’s sympathy. As most people go home for New Year holidays, though, it’s very rare for us to miss the chance of eating ddeokguk. However, on one’s birthday when we (should) eat ‘미역국 (miyeokguk: seaplant soup)’, this Q&A session quite often ends up with answer ‘no’ and thus brings enormous sympathy especially to people who don’t live with their parents.
If I were not invited to a New Year party today hosted by a couple of Korean people here in Brussels, I wouldn’t have tried to make ddeokguk myself. Although I hadn’t given much meaning to having to eat ddeokguk, I’ve realised what it actually means. When I talked to my parents earlier this morning that I was going to have ddeokguk thanks to this invitation, they were so glad to hear this because they were concerned about me for not having the soup. Wherever I will be in the future, I’ll try to make ddeokguk for New Year, not only to ease my parents’ worries but to think about the meanings of family, home, love, and more importantly to share these meanings with people around me.
* Dedicate this post to Elisabeth.
시은:
흐흐 떡국 먹었네!
25 January 2009, 11:54 pm완전 다행~~
보고싶고 사랑하는 선경언니야,
올해도 행복하고 즐거운 1년- 그리고 복이 넘쳐나는 1년이 되길!!
Elisabeth:
Awww…I came here from your comment on our blog, and what a sweet post!
And now I’m really glad I’m making ddeok guk…it’s a new tradition for our family, but one that we’re so happy to begin. I think the kids are a little too young to understand the idea of getting one year older on New Years, but I anticipate that it will be a source of fun in a few years.
Happy New Year, Sunkyoung! Thank you for sharing what New Years and ddeok guk means to you. It makes this day even richer.
26 January 2009, 4:32 pm찬희:
가끔 눈팅만 하다가 용기내어(?) 글남겨요ㅋ
외국에서 맞는 설은 외롭지는 않으신지…
누나에게는 생활이겠지만
6 February 2009, 3:18 am이국적인 풍광이 저에겐 호연지기를 불러일으키네요ㅋ
올한해도 건강하시고 원하는 꿈 이루시길 바랄게요~
Dalicia:
Happy New Year to you
I hope it wasn’t a hard dish to make. Our family is big on “Tang Yuan”
8 February 2009, 7:19 amSweet glutinous rice ball.
Fabrizio:
I’m late and I know (I was out and I need my time to get back in everything concern the net). So, as said, I am late but I am in time to be happy to read you were be able to have ddeok guk. Then I am sure it was superb. I *love* Asian food and one I will taste it. — In next 11 months of this year I wish you have way to see realized all your dreams !
9 February 2009, 2:09 pmmaria:
what about pizza in brussels?
25 February 2009, 10:41 amG@ttoGiallo:
Please, make your next ddeokguk in Paris !
26 February 2009, 4:49 amplease please please !!!
(and let me know).
Sunkyoung:
시은 – 어제 간만에 수다 풀어서 기분이 업 됐었다. 너랑 채팅 마치고 나서 업체에게 전화도 돌렸고.
어둠 끝에 광명이 오리니 우리 그 환한 빛을 곧 함께 나누자꾸나.
Elisabeth – You are so great to make having ddeokguk a new tradition for your family. I’m always amazed how wonderfully you pick up and connect this kind of cultural piece into your daily life.
찬희 – 아.. 찬희야… 더 일찍 답을 남기지 못해 미안해. 그래도 너의 답글을 보고 정말 반가웠단다. 외로웠다기 보다는 가족 생각이 더 간절히 났었어. 매일 매일이 여행같기를 바라는 내 마음이 여러 차례 외국 생활로 이어진 게 사실이지만 어디에 사느냐 보다는 어떻게 사느냐가 정신적 풍요에 더 이롭다는 것을 조금씩 깨닫고 있어. ‘호연지기’라는 말 정말 오랫만에 들어본다. 찬희도 건강히 잘 지내고 발전하는 한 해가 되길 바랄게.
Dalicia – Thanks for sharing ‘Tang Yuan’. Asian food rocks!
Very belated Happy New Year to you too!
Fabrizio – Thank you, Fabrizio, as always. I’m hoping one of my dreams will come true very soon. Take good care!
Maria – If the pizza is the one at Mamma Roma, it could be a substitute.
G@ttoGiallo – I cannot guarantee but, if I do, I will let you know.
5 March 2009, 2:26 pmjuly:
why do they have 떡국
14 January 2010, 8:22 amSunkyoung:
Hi July, unfortunately, I don’t have a clear answer to your quetion, such as the origin of the food and the belief, but we Koreans eat it on Lunar New Year’s Day as a traditional dish especially for the day and believes we get one year older after having this soup although skipping it does not represent any curse at all.
24 January 2010, 6:35 pmAshley:
wow…
8 February 2010, 9:16 amI’m interested in korean food
Sunkyoung:
Hi Ashley, thanks for your message and I’m glad to hear you’re interested in Korean food. Not only because I’m Korean but I really do think it’s great food. If you click a link in my post above, it will lead to a Korean cooking blog where you can get easy and simple recipes.
14 February 2010, 11:13 pm