The Korean people have traditionally celebrated lunar New Year’s Day.
Since the period of the feudal Joson dynasty (1392-1910), the holiday had had been one of the three major holidays in a year, and the custom of celebrating it developed into a tradition and a variety of events took place that day.
During the dynasty, the custom of celebrating New Year’s Day appeared as it was decided to adopt the Gregorian calendar in 1894 and the calendar began to be used on January 1 1896.
However, private citizens mainly celebrated lunar New Year’s Day instead of New Year’ Day.
The traditional custom, however, declined due to the moves to obliterate the Korean nation and oppression by the Japanese imperialists who militarily occupied Korea from 1905 to 1945.
Therefore, the traditional custom might have disappeared from the Koreans’ life, but for Chairman Kim Jong Il.
He, who had paid deep attention to preserving the Juche character and national identity in the revolution and construction, carefully considered the situation and took a national measure to celebrate the folk holiday according to the traditional custom of the nation.
Saying it had been a tradition for the Koreans to celebrate New Year’s Day by the lunar calendar since olden times, he made sure that the day was fixed as a national folk holiday and marked from 1989.
One day in February 1997, he said that the Korean people had spent lunar New Year’s Day enjoyably and that when the holiday came after diligently working a full year, they prepared different special foods and played folk games including yut (four-stick) game, sledging, kite-flying and shuttlecock kicking, and pointed to the need to preserve well the cultural traditions and customs of life peculiar to the Korean nation.
Afterwards, he took every opportunity to ensure that people maintained folk customs, including the dietary custom on lunar New Year’s Day, with a correct understanding of them.
The Korean people still keep alive the traditional life customs of the nation as they make and eat different national foods and play folk games on lunar New Year’s Day.
More From Pyongyang Times
Andrei Beloussov, minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, and his party arrived in Pyongyang on April 26 to attend the
April 28, 2026
Andrei Beloussov, minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, and his party arrived in Pyongyang on April 26 to attend the
Ju Chang Il, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, had a talk in a compatriotic atmosphere with the
April 28, 2026
Ju Chang Il, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, had a talk in a compatriotic atmosphere with the
According to a presidential decree of the Russian Federation, Order of Bravery was conferred on the officers and combatants of the
April 28, 2026
According to a presidential decree of the Russian Federation, Order of Bravery was conferred on the officers and combatants of the
On the occasion of the significant April 25, the whole country paid respects to the first generation of the revolution who handed
April 27, 2026
On the occasion of the significant April 25, the whole country paid respects to the first generation of the revolution who handed
The delegation of Korean commercial workers in Japan left Pyongyang on April 25 after visiting the socialist homeland to mark the
April 27, 2026
The delegation of Korean commercial workers in Japan left Pyongyang on April 25 after visiting the socialist homeland to mark the
Senior Party and government officials visited the Korean Revolution Museum on April 25, the 94th founding anniversary of the
April 27, 2026
Senior Party and government officials visited the Korean Revolution Museum on April 25, the 94th founding anniversary of the
The Ensemble of the Ministry of National Defence of the DPRK gave a music and dance performance at the Ponghwa Art Theatre on
April 27, 2026
The Ensemble of the Ministry of National Defence of the DPRK gave a music and dance performance at the Ponghwa Art Theatre on
A dance party of youth and students in Pyongyang took place in front of the Pyongyang Circus Theatre on April 25 in celebration of
April 27, 2026
A dance party of youth and students in Pyongyang took place in front of the Pyongyang Circus Theatre on April 25 in celebration of
The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un and the participants in the inauguration ceremony of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the
April 27, 2026
The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un and the participants in the inauguration ceremony of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the
The people and service personnel in the DPRK significantly celebrated the 94th founding anniversary of the Korean People's
April 27, 2026
The people and service personnel in the DPRK significantly celebrated the 94th founding anniversary of the Korean People's
A magnificent memorial museum of combat feats was erected in the best place of the capital city to praise the great heroic spirit
April 27, 2026
A magnificent memorial museum of combat feats was erected in the best place of the capital city to praise the great heroic spirit
Officers and combatants of the overseas operations units of the Korean People’s Army, who are here by accomplishing a sacred missi
April 27, 2026
Officers and combatants of the overseas operations units of the Korean People’s Army, who are here by accomplishing a sacred missi
The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs of the
April 27, 2026
The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs of the
The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs of the
April 27, 2026
The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs of the
A football match between the Kalmaegi Team of the Navy and the Jebi Team of the Air Force of the Korean People's Army took place o
April 27, 2026
A football match between the Kalmaegi Team of the Navy and the Jebi Team of the Air Force of the Korean People's Army took place o
April 26 is World Intellectual Property Day.The theme for this year’s World Intellectual Property Day is “IP and Sports”.Sports ar
April 26, 2026
April 26 is World Intellectual Property Day.The theme for this year’s World Intellectual Property Day is “IP and Sports”.Sports ar
The finals of the National Inter-provincial Games-2026 and the closing ceremony of the 2026 Spring National Sports Festival took
April 26, 2026
The finals of the National Inter-provincial Games-2026 and the closing ceremony of the 2026 Spring National Sports Festival took
The Russian government delegation headed by Alexandr Kozlov, minister of Natural Resources and Ecology who is chairman of the
April 26, 2026
The Russian government delegation headed by Alexandr Kozlov, minister of Natural Resources and Ecology who is chairman of the
The delegation of the Ministry of Interior of the Russian Federation led by Minister Vladimir Kolokoltev visited the Victorious
April 26, 2026
The delegation of the Ministry of Interior of the Russian Federation led by Minister Vladimir Kolokoltev visited the Victorious
The delegation of Korean commercial workers in Japan visited Mangyongdae, the sacred place of the revolution. Being briefed on the
April 26, 2026
The delegation of Korean commercial workers in Japan visited Mangyongdae, the sacred place of the revolution. Being briefed on the
More Articles
