Seollal Holidays or Lunar New Year Celebrations!

Lunar New Year, or "Seollal" in Korea, is being celebrated in Korean American communities throughout North America, while many Korean associations and other groups from California to New York have introduced Seollal programs to promote the holiday to non-Koreans.As television personality Kelly Choi recently told Gothamist in an interview, "(Lunar) New Year's day is really about being with family and having that meal, the tteok, the rice cakes, hanging out, and playing games. Some people really do sing karaoke and play these wooden stick games that are sort of like dice. It's really about remembering and respecting your ancestors and people who have passed on. And then the parents throw money to the kids and wish for great health and wealth, and it's all about family".

Meanwhile, an article in The Korea Times about family activities recommended for Seollal on Thursday (Feb. 3) and following days had this to say about moviegoing in Korea:"With the temperatures plummeting to the lowest in nearly 50 years, Seoulites have been opting for indoor activities. Movie theaters have been benefiting from the weather, and even more people are expected to flock to them for the latest offerings over the break".

It continued: "Domestic cinema has kicked off 2011 on a positive note with Kang Woo-seok's sports drama "GLove" attracting 1 million viewers. The feel-good movie follows in the footsteps of the family comedy "Hello Ghost", which drew in over 3 million over the New Year. The box office momentum is expected to continue through Seollal, as 730,000 people watched the period comedy "Detective K" on its opening weekend. "Battlefield Heroes", another slapstick comedy set during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), has also made a promising start by bringing in 390,000 viewers as of Monday".