CNY In Malaysia. How about Korea?

I have celebrated my Chinese New Year 2010 happily. Today is the 15th day of Chinese New Year. My exhausted body is beginning to complain. My throat feels like sandpaper. I go through a dreadful torture. I am sick! However, I have no choice. I have to sit in front of the computer and complete my homework.

How I celebrate Chinese New Year this year? Actually it is almost the same with last year. There are some traditions that we should pay in mind. First, clean your home. Doing so will supposedly "sweep away the bad luck" accumulated over the past year and get ready for the good luck to come in. You could also put away dustpans and brooms so the good luck may not be swept away. However, keep fresh and hygienic; maybe even a haircut will do.

Decorate your home. That most recommended is to use lots of red, since red is a color or symbol of good luck in Chinese culture. The number "8" also symbolizes good luck and wealth. In Chinese it rhymes with fortune, or wealth. Decorate as much as you can, but do not overdo it. Remember the meaning of the decorations, to bring life and fortune from the bright and colorful decorations. You may also place flowers through the house, like lotuses. These symbolize rebirth and new growth.
Do not clean your home during the New Year, such as sweeping or wiping the windows. Doing so will "sweep away" the good luck that you received during the New Year. Yes, not cleaning for 13 to 15 days may be a dirty business, but it is part of the tradition and it is important to follow it.

In Korea, in the morning of Seollal, people get up early to wash and put on their
‘Seolbim (new clothes prepared for Seollal)'. Many people wear Hanboks. Then the families gather to perform ancestral rites, paying their respects by offering them food. According to Korean traditions, it is believed that ancestors return to enjoy the holiday food prepared for them. An ancestral tablet is placed on the rites table along with all the dishes and drinks. This is to show appreciation and respect for late ancestors. The ancestral rites also symbolize the descendants' prayers for a good new year.

After the rites have been performed, everyone shares the holiday food together. Tteokguk is also prepared without exception, made of thinly sliced tteok (rice cakes) cooked in beef soup. According to tradition, eating tteokguk on Seollal adds one year to your age. Therefore, the children ask each other ‘how many servings of tteokguk did you have?' and they calculate their age according to the number of serving they had just for fun.

After finishing their meal, the younger generations pay their respects to the elders of the family by bowing to them. The elders offer well-wishing remarks such as ‘have a healthy year' or ‘meet someone nice' as they give the young people ‘New Year's money'. Children especially like Seollal because they can receive money as a New Year's gift. Lately, an increasing number of Christian families are choosing not to perform the ancestral rites due to their religious beliefs. Instead, their family members gather to share food and stories, and spend quality family time during Seollal.