Korean Holidays and Traditions: Seollal, Chuseok, and More

Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (the autumn harvest festival) are Korea's two biggest holidays, when families gather to honor their ancestors and share food. Because both follow the lunar calendar, their dates shift every year. Here's what happens during each holiday, how it affects travel, and a quick look at Dano, Daeboreum, and Dongji.

Holiday dates follow the lunar calendar

Seollal falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month and Chuseok on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. On the Western calendar, Seollal usually lands between late January and February, and Chuseok in September or early October.

Each holiday is a three-day public holiday in South Korea: the day itself plus the days before and after. If it overlaps with a Sunday or another holiday, a substitute day off may be added, so check that year's calendar for the exact dates.

Seollal: ancestral rites, sebae, and tteokguk

On Seollal morning, many families hold charye, a simplified memorial rite for ancestors. The table setting and steps vary by region and family, and some households, for religious or personal reasons, skip it altogether.

Afterward, younger family members perform sebae, a deep New Year's bow to their elders, who respond with words of good wishes. The signature dish is tteokguk, a soup of thinly sliced rice cakes; tradition says eating it makes you one year older.

Chuseok: grave visits and songpyeon

Chuseok, also called Hangawi, is a harvest festival that gives thanks for the year's crops. Families offer newly harvested rice and fruit at charye and visit ancestral graves (seongmyo), often tidying the grass around them (beolcho) in the weeks before.

The classic Chuseok treat is songpyeon, small half-moon rice cakes filled with sesame, red beans, chestnuts, or other fillings. Making them together at home is one of the holiday's best-loved scenes.

What visitors should know about the travel rush

So many people head to their hometowns that Koreans call it the “great national migration.” Expressways back up for hours and holiday train tickets often sell out early, so book ahead if you plan to travel between cities during these periods.

Some traditional markets and small restaurants close for the holiday, while popular attractions in Seoul can get busy. Check each venue's official notice before you go.

Book intercity trains and buses as early as possible
Expect heavy traffic out of Seoul before the holiday and back into Seoul at the end
Confirm holiday hours for shops, restaurants, and clinics in advance

Dano, Daeboreum, and Dongji

Dano (5th day of the 5th lunar month) is a traditional early-summer holiday associated with ssireum wrestling, swinging, and washing hair in iris-infused water. It's no longer a public holiday, but the Gangneung Danoje Festival was proclaimed a UNESCO Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage in 2005.

Daeboreum (15th day of the 1st lunar month) celebrates the year's first full moon with customs like cracking nuts (bureom), eating five-grain rice, and moon-watching. Dongji, the winter solstice around December 21 or 22, is when Koreans eat red bean porridge (patjuk), traditionally believed to ward off bad luck.

FAQ

When is Seollal?

It's the 1st day of the lunar new year, so the Western date changes every year—usually late January to February. Check the current year's calendar.

Is it a bad time to visit Korea during Chuseok or Seollal?

Not necessarily, but intercity transport is crowded and some small shops close. Within Seoul, many attractions stay open; check official notices.

What is sebae?

A formal deep bow that younger people give to elders on Lunar New Year, usually answered with good wishes.

What do Koreans eat on Chuseok?

Songpyeon (half-moon rice cakes) is the signature food, along with freshly harvested fruit and various holiday dishes.

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-10-28