Chinese New Year will be Sunday, Feb. 18. Because the Chinese Students and Scholars Association organize an annual banquet, UA students have the opportunity to socialize, learn about the culture and celebrate the New Year with them. Few students know that the Korean New Year, also called Seollal, is also celebrated on the same day each year. Though the Korean New Year will not have a fete at the UA campus, students will still have a chance to come and celebrate Seollal with Korean students from the Northwest Arkansas area.

The event is organized by Northwest Arkansas Korean School, said UA student Anna Cho, who is also a teacher at the school. The NWA School is celebrating Seollal at the First United Methodist Church Feb. 18.

“We are having this event because we want to celebrate with many people,” Cho said, adding that this is the first time the Korean New Year is being commemorated in the Northwest Arkansas community. “Since Korea is not well known in the Northwest Arkansas area, we wanted to introduce Korean culture to the [community] and share our holiday with them.”

Seollal is the first day of a new lunar year, which falls sometime in late January to late February by the solar calendar, according to the www.korea.net. “Seollal is the one of the holidays celebrated fervently, and one of the most traditional events of the year,” Cho said. “We celebrate Seollal more significantly than January 1st.”

Koreans wear a traditional costume call Han-Bok during the New Year, and the entire family gets together, Cho said. The family observes ancestral rites and has ancestor memorial services, and after the ceremonies the younger members make a traditional deep bow to their elders, according to www.korea.net. Family members also wish each other happy New Year, Cho said.

“We usually get money, and put that money in a wallet called Bok Ju Mu Ni [lucky pocket],” Cho said. “During New Year morning, we eat tteokguk [rice cake soup].” Eating the soup truly indicates that the Koreans have witnessed the New Year, she said. “There is a saying, ‘if you don’t eat tteokguk on the New Year, you will not turn one year older,’” Cho said.

During Seollal, Koreans play traditional folk games, such as Yutnori, a board game played by tossing sticks; Paengichigi, a spin-the-top game; and Neolttwigi, a seesaw game, Cho said.

The organizers of the Northwest Arkansas Korean School will “provide more than 20 different types of Korean traditional foods for lunch,” Cho said. “We will have traditional Korean costume fashion show.” Cho will be wearing a costume of traditional queen garbs, she said.

People from the Dallas Korean Cultural Foundation will perform four types of Korean dances and play traditional instruments, Cho said. “We will have a person?who will explain about the dances and instruments.?The Northwest Arkansas Korean?School students will sing?New Year songs, and they will also perform Tae Kwon Do.”

The Seollal celebration will be from 1-5 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, located at 206 W. Johnson Ave. in Springdale. The event is free and open to everyone, Cho said. Those who are also interested in learning the Korean language are welcome to sign up at the Northwest Arkansas Korean School, she said.

“We have a class every Sunday, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.,” Cho said. There are five different classes, and the tuition is $90 per semester, she said.