LEAD Academy students celebrate the Lunar New Year – 새해 복 많이 받으세요

LEAD Academy - Montgomery, AL

This February 12th marked the Lunar New Year and the year of the Ox. This celebration is based on the lunar calendar, Chinese zodiac, and is traditionally celebrated in Asian countries, including Korea where it is known as Seollal (설날). Koreans celebrate the new year for three days. They celebrate by visiting family, performing ancestral rites, wearing traditional hanbok (한복), eating traditional food, and playing traditional games. One special tradition is for children to receive money (usually in a red envelope) and many blessings from their elders after performing a formal bow, known as sebae (세배).  

This year, Ms. Jemma Lee, A-KEEP’s Korean language teacher at LEAD Academy, celebrated the lunar new year in her classroom. 5th and 6th -grade students at LEAD Academy learned about this celebration and even wore the traditional hanbok and learned how to bow to their elders (Ms. Lee). Each student received a blessing bag called bokjumeoni (복주머니) to bring good fortune and strength throughout the year as A-KEEP's desire to encourage students to be “hard-working and honest” as the Ox. Watch the video to see students greeting Ms. Lee.

Ms. Jemma Lee and students practice the traditional greeting to elders for the Korean New Year.

By Brittany Payne