Seollal Songs
Micol Cohn
For the diaspora community who have forged a lifestyle as expats, Lunar New Year celebrations incorporate evolving traditions. The experience can be different for new migrants and those who are born in Australia.
For Dr Wei Jiang, a doctor and musician, Lunar New Year means time to spend with her immediate family. Wei has lived in Sydney since the age of four but can still recall the festive atmosphere in China around the Lunar New Year.
Since the pandemic began, Wei has used virtual choir technology to maintain contact with her US-based family, though not specifically during the Lunar New Year. "The music you get exposed to is the music that becomes you," says Wei, who is a lover of choral music and has taken part in several virtual choir projects.
The Korean community has their own unique way of celebrating Lunar New Year. Jihee Kim, Director of the Korean Cultural Centre Australia explains, "there is a New Year's custom known as sebae, in which people change into seolbeam (a new set of hanbok) on the morning of New Year's Day, visit relatives and neighbours, and bow to their elders. They share words of blessing and provide little monetary gifts to young children who offer sebae (New Year's bow)."
In Australia, the Korean community celebrates by gathering with family and friends to share holiday food and tuning in to holiday special broadcasts featuring singing programmes in which the cast members dress up in hanbok and sing songs of various genres ranging from traditional to modern. Singalongs and games are customarily part of these gatherings.
Nowadays, Vo, who works for Vision Australia exchanges blessings with her family via phone calls. "My family would put on music whilst we sit and eat, just like you do at Christmas for Australians. The most familiar song for me is Hey, spring has come. It gives you an idea of how excited people are that tết is here." Another song literally proclaims New Year New Year New Year New Year Comes.
The Lunar New Year is the most important occasion for the Asian diaspora community in Australia, whether they have a strong or tenuous connection to the previous culture. These songs are part of the threads which makes it more tangible.
In commemoration of the grand opening, KCCNY will present a series of events featuring the best of Korean performing and visual arts, cinema, cuisine and more throughout the year, and for its inaugural event in the new space, the Center celebrates its first family weekend program, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the KCCNY. The two-day event features a dynamic mix of events that blend both educational and cultural programming to celebrate Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, as well as the first reveal of artist Hyesu Lee's mural at the Center.
On Saturday, February 24th, in partnership with Woori Show, the Seollal is Korean New Year musical extravaganza with live musical performances headlines the day as families are invited to learn about the beautiful customs and tradition of Korean new year festivities and creating an inclusive future for all children. Hosted by Nari Kye and Julia Riew with performers Natalie Choo, Claire Kwon, and Odessa Deng, children and families are welcome to join in on the singing and dancing!
Also on Saturday, author and illustrator Aram Kim joins KCCNY for a special edition of Seollal Storytime in the Library (pre-registration required) for a reading of her beloved "Tomorrow is New Year's Day" along with a live drawing demonstration. Attending children will get a signed copy of her book.
Sunday, February 25th, KCCNY features two free screenings of Pororo the Movie: Popstar Adventure (2023) the newest of Pororo films featuring the most beloved of Korean animated characters, the little penguin Pororo and his group of friends on yet another fun journey. The film is recommended for ages 3 and up, and free with pre-registration.
On both Saturday and Sunday, we invite all visitors to the Center to join us for an activity from our "K-Culture Kit: Seollal" in the Library on the 3rd floor. The do-it-yourself kit is fully downloadable from our website and filled with coloring pages and cut-out-templates that spark creativity, with educational components about the Korean language centered around key phrases that we share in the new year. On both days, limited edition K-Culture Kit stickers will be specially available to visitors.
Also on both days, on the 2nd floor Gallery, we invite families to experience hands-on Korean tteok (rice cake) making with Jennifer Ban of Rice Blossoms. Rice cakes are traditionally eaten on Seollal and other holidays to mark the occasion; additionally, it is a tradition for families moving into a new home to distribute tteok to their new neighbors as a sign of bringing in good luck and friendship. This program invites children to make their own Baram Tteok in the shape of their choosing.
"As we joyfully celebrate Seollal, the Korean Cultural Center New York is thrilled to mark this auspicious occasion with our inaugural family event. This celebration not only embraces the rich traditions of the Korean Lunar New Year, but also signifies the beginning of a new chapter for our Center in our new building. Through art, culture, and the warmth of family, we invite everyone to join us in creating cherished memories and strengthening the bonds that enrich the cultural diversity of New York," said Michael Cheonsoo Kim, Executive Director of the Korean Cultural Center New York. "We are excited to open our doors, first, to welcome the youngest members of our community."
Saturday, February 24th, 2024, 11:00 am and 2:00 pmSeollal is Korean New Year Recommended for ages 4 and upWoori Show debuts their live, musical performance of their educational series for a special in-person celebration teaching the next generation of children about one of Korea's most important and treasured holidays: Seollal. Using video with live music performances, the dynamic, interactive stage presentation will help families preserve and share Korean Lunar New Year and its unique, beautiful customs and traditions. *Program is conducted in English; no prior knowledge of Korean is required.
Sunday, February 25th, 2025, 11:00 am and 2:00 pmPororo the Movie: Popstar AdventureRunning Time: 75 minutesRecommended for ages 3 and up; film is dubbed in EnglishPororo and his friends are an inch away from winning a singing contest which they joined purely for fun. As they advance closer and closer to the final round, the villain Big Ben's petty jealousy grows. Will Pororo and his friends survive the distractions thrown against them by Big Ben and eventually win the superstar contest?
Woori Show is a community-funded not-for-profit organization that grew out of a strong demand and desire to preserve and celebrate Korean language and culture with the next generation here in the United States. Tackling the rise of anti-AAPI hate of the Covid-19 pandemic, we've been combating racism and bullying with joy and celebration since 2015. Our nonprofit's mission is brought to life with our bilingual, educational video series aimed to delight and teach children of all backgrounds and ages, creating an inclusive community coming together to learn and love Korean language and culture. Our songs, stories, art, history and recipes are centered around identity and belonging, representing our diverse community of immigrants, multi-racial families, adoptees, and Korean culture enthusiasts and allies.
Created by Nari Kye (filmmaker and TV producer, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Parts Unknown, WASTED! The Story of Food Waste) and a team of award-winning parent-artists (puppeteer Kathleen Kim of Sesame Street) and educators, our viewership has skyrocketed, most recently with our latest AAPI Heritage Month video garnering over 2 million views on our YouTube Channel. With our global community reaching as far as Malaysia and the Philippines, to Texas, California and New York City, Woori Show is writing our history while spreading and sharing Korean heritage, pride and joy with the world. www.woorishow.org
After becoming a new mom, Jennifer Lee Ban, aka Mama Ban, struggled to find healthy snacks for her daughter. At the same time, she was itching for a creative outlet after leaving her professional interior designer job. In her search for inspiration, she stumbled upon the art of crafting Korean desserts which were healthy, creative, and tasty. Since then, Rice Blossoms was founded with a mission to create and spread modernized Korean desserts that are steamed with love. www.riceblossoms.com
Aram Kim is an award-winning writer, illustrator, and designer of children's picture books. By day, she is an Art Director at Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, where she works with various illustrators to make beautiful picture books. When she is not working as an art director, Aram writes and illustrates her own stories about universal themes with a distinctive Korean flair. Her published books include Cat on the Bus, Yoomi, Friends and Family series including No Kimchi for Me!, and most recently, Tomorrow Is New Year's Day, which is about Seollal, a Korean celebration of the Lunar New Year. Her books received several recognitions and accolades including Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, Bank Street's Best Children's Books of the Year, and a Baker's Dozen Award: The Best Children's Books for Family Literacy by The Pennsylvania Center for the Book. Find out more about Aram's work at AramKim.com.
OCON STUDIOS is one of the top content production companies based in South Korea. Established in 1996, OCON creates high-quality 3D animation based on a solid array of skillful professionals and production pipelines. As a result, numerous projects were selected in worldly animation festivals such as Annecy, Cartoon on the bay, Anima Mundi, etc.
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