Happy New Year!  Today is the New Year’s Eve and I wish all my readers a wonderful, healthy and prosperous New Year.   If you happen to be in South Korea and want to welcome the New Year like the Koreans, you can try the following:

Learn how to speak “Happy New Year” in Korean

In English, we say, “Happy New Year!”   In Korean, we say, “새해 복 많이 받으세요.” – literally, it means, “Please receive a lot of luck or blessings in the New Year”.   Learn how to pronounce it, please click the link to the Youtube video below:

How to say “Happy New Year” in Korean

Try to say this greeting in Korean to as many people as possible!

Attend the Bosingak bell-ringing ceremony

In Seoul, a popular event is the bell-ringing ceremony at Bosingak Belfry (보신각터) on the New Year’s Eve.  People count down together to the New Year and the bell at Bosingak Belfry is struck 33 times to celebrate the coming of the New Year.  A lot of people gather around the Bosingak Belfry to attend this ceremony.   You can view a Youtube video for the 1 January 2016 bell-ringing ceremony by clicking the link below:

2016-01-01 Seoul Bosingak Bell-ringing Ceremony

Watch the first sunrise of the New Year

Another popular event for welcoming the New Year in South Korea is watching the first sunrise of the New Year to make wishes.  Recommended popular spots include the Namsan Octagonal Pavilion (남산 팔각정) at the N Seoul Tower, the Haneul Park (하늘공원) in the World Cup Park, the Olympic Park (올림픽공원), the Mount Achasan (아차산), and the Mount Dobongsan (도봉산).  You may click this link to learn about other good places to watch the sunrise in South Korea.

What are your New Year’s wishes?  No matter what they are, may all your wishes come true! 🙂

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