What Korean bow to elders is traditionally observed on Seollal? The answer is sebae, a formal bow expressing respect to older family members.
During Seollal, younger relatives perform sebae before parents, grandparents, and other elders. They offer New Year greetings and receive blessings or good wishes in return. Elders may also give children sebaet don, or New Year’s money, making the ritual both respectful and celebratory.
Sebae is distinct from charye, which honors deceased ancestors at a family altar. It is also not jesa, the broader term for Korean ancestral memorial rites, nor gut, a shamanic ritual tradition. Hanbok may be worn while performing sebae, but the clothing is not the bow itself.
The precise posture and hand placement can vary according to gender, age, family custom, and modern practice. The custom reflects Korea’s long-standing emphasis on filial piety and intergenerational respect, while the accompanying greeting commonly wishes elders happiness and good fortune in the coming year.