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Seollal, one of the three major holidays in Korea. Did you all have a good Seollal holiday this year?

And did you know that there is Seollal in  Vietnam   too?

To celebrate this special day, I went on a cultural tour of Gyeongju with Vietnamese workers.

  What is Tet?

Source: Wikipedia

'Tet' is the most important holiday in Vietnam, a grand festival that celebrates the beginning of the year.

It falls on the first day of the first lunar month, and is a golden holiday of more than a week.

During this time, there is a custom of cleaning and decorating the house, and performing ancestral rites.

Just like in Korea, people eat rice cake soup on Seollal, in Vietnam, 

they welcome the New Year by eating rice cake called 'Ba Trang' and a special food called 'Tet Cau'.

  Vietnamese New Year's Day 'Tet' felt in Gyeongju

The trip had a really special meaning for the Vietnamese workers.

'Tet' is the most important holiday in Vietnam, and spending time with family is key, but most Vietnamese workers are working in Korea away from their families. So this trip was a precious time for them, like another family in Korea.

When you think of Gyeongju, what comes to mind first?   

For me, Bulguksa Temple and Hwangridan-gil are the first places that come to mind.

Bulguksa Temple is famous as a representative cultural asset of Korea, 

and Hwangridan-gil has a unique atmosphere that originated from Gyeongridan-gil in Itaewon.

These two places are charming places where tradition and modernity blend well, 

and they were the perfect places to visit with the Vietnamese workers.

  Cultural Exploration at Bulguksa Temple

Bulguksa is a representative temple of Korean Buddhism, and the peaceful atmosphere felt there is similar to the spirit of Vietnam's 'Tet' New Year.

Vietnam's 'Tet' is an important holiday to express gratitude to ancestors and pray for good fortune in the new year.

The time spent quietly praying, calming one's mind, and reflecting on one's wishes for the new year at Bulguksa was very similar to the meaning of Vietnam's 'Tet'.

  Fortune-telling on Hwangridan-gil, containing the energy of ‘Tet’!

When I visited Hwangridan-gil during my trip to Gyeongju, I discovered another fun activity. It was fortune-telling!   

It was a special time to tell my fortune for the new year with Vietnamese workers during Tết, the Vietnamese New Year.

In Vietnam, there is a tradition of holding ancestral rites with family on New Year's Day, praying for good fortune in the new year, and telling fortunes.

Similarly, I felt like I was starting a new year by telling my fortune at Hwangridan-gil.

HR Standard plans to continue to support foreign workers so that they can settle down and live comfortably.

I wonder what kind of new experiences await them on their next trip!

I hope we can continue to create meaningful times like this one, and I hope you all welcome the new year with a warm heart!