Spring Break
Seollal fête
A stunning visual of Korean culture
Anna Nguyen
Issue date: 2/21/07 Section: Life & Style
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Women, men and children dressed in vivid, traditional Korean ensembles; a luncheon featuring many customary Korean dishes; demonstrations of children practicing martial arts; Korean folk art and traditional artifact displays. The first celebration of the Korean New Year, also known as Seollal, at Northwest Arkansas was a gorgeous presentation of visuals and offered the best experience for those who are interested in learning about Korea. The celebration took place Sunday at the First United Methodist Church and was organized by Northwest Arkansas Korean School.
Seollal is one of the two major events that Koreans celebrate in Northwest Arkansas, the other being the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving called Chuseok, said Terrie Kim, the assistant director of the Northwest Arkansas Korean School. The celebration of Chuseok was a "small event," Kim said. "It was mainly about food." The Seollal festival was a grander celebration, not only featuring food but also offering music and arts entertainment, Kim said. "People were interested in Korean culture, and this event showcased professionals [who performed onstage], not amateurs."
"We have been preparing for this event for about six weeks," said sophomore Anna Cho, who also participated in the event. "The Northwest Korean School teachers united as one and worked very hard for the Korean New Year celebration. It was very beautiful."
The celebration of Seollal first began with a Korean banquet, offering many Korean staple dishes such as kimchi, bulgogi, namul, guksu, dukbokgi, mando, duk, sikhye, sujungga, dongguradang, kochi, dukbokgi and daktigi, Cho said. "The food was made by Northwest Arkansas Korean School Parents Association and the Korean United Methodist Church," Cho said.
Many live presentations followed after guests feasted on the banquet food, including a performance from Korean children of the Northwest Arkansas community, dressed in traditional garbs, who sang the Korean National Anthem "Ae-guk-ga." There were also performances that featured a traditional Korean dance and string instrument, a Tae-Kwon-Do demonstration and a showcase of traditional costumes worn by the royal councils of the Korean palace.
Seollal is one of the two major events that Koreans celebrate in Northwest Arkansas, the other being the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving called Chuseok, said Terrie Kim, the assistant director of the Northwest Arkansas Korean School. The celebration of Chuseok was a "small event," Kim said. "It was mainly about food." The Seollal festival was a grander celebration, not only featuring food but also offering music and arts entertainment, Kim said. "People were interested in Korean culture, and this event showcased professionals [who performed onstage], not amateurs."
"We have been preparing for this event for about six weeks," said sophomore Anna Cho, who also participated in the event. "The Northwest Korean School teachers united as one and worked very hard for the Korean New Year celebration. It was very beautiful."
The celebration of Seollal first began with a Korean banquet, offering many Korean staple dishes such as kimchi, bulgogi, namul, guksu, dukbokgi, mando, duk, sikhye, sujungga, dongguradang, kochi, dukbokgi and daktigi, Cho said. "The food was made by Northwest Arkansas Korean School Parents Association and the Korean United Methodist Church," Cho said.
Many live presentations followed after guests feasted on the banquet food, including a performance from Korean children of the Northwest Arkansas community, dressed in traditional garbs, who sang the Korean National Anthem "Ae-guk-ga." There were also performances that featured a traditional Korean dance and string instrument, a Tae-Kwon-Do demonstration and a showcase of traditional costumes worn by the royal councils of the Korean palace.
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