Feb 12, 2021
Lunar New Year 2021 (South Korea)
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Today’s Doodle celebrates the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar—officially starting the Year of the Ox! Korean New Year, Seollal, marks a time to honor ancestors and look forward to prosperity in the year ahead.
This Lunar New Year marks the official transition out of the Year of the Rat–believed to be one of constant change–and into the Year of the Ox, which is traditionally associated with things moving at a more slow and steady pace. In Korean culture, the ox—symbolizing hard work, positivity, and fertile harvest—holds special significance as one of the animals that appears most frequently throughout the nation’s traditional proverbs.
The lunar new year is warmly welcomed with traditional foods such as tteokguk (rice cake soup), yakbap (sweet rice), japchae (glass noodle stir fry), and jeon (savory pancake). Lunar New Year is also sometimes celebrated with talchum (Korea traditional mask dances), as depicted in today's Doodle artwork. The Eunyul Talchum and Bukcheong Saja Noreums, both recognized as National Intangible Cultural Properties of Korea, are rooted in a folk belief that lions have the power to turn away evil spirits and bring peace.
So take this year by the horns—here’s to this next lunar cycle being as strong as an ox!
Happy Lunar New Year! Head to Search to join in the festivities and welcome the Year of the Ox with a bang!
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