While most Koreans are packing up and heading off to their hometowns to celebrate Seollal, or Lunar New Year, with their families, expats living around Korea are making plans of their own.

Some may travel abroad. Some may even attempt to travel around the country, despite the clogged highways and railways. But those who live in Seoul and have decided to stay put during this year’s four-day holiday, may be wondering just what is there to do other than the usual weekend activities.

Luckily, different organizations and museums have planned events throughout Lunar New Year for those who are in Seoul; some to help expats and foreigners understand Lunar New Year a bit better and learn about the different traditions and rituals, and some to just celebrate the New Year with both foreigners and Koreans.

Lunar New Year is traditionally a time when people travel to their hometowns to perform ancestral rites, often bearing gifts for each other. The actual Seollal day, this year on Monday, begins early in the morning with families gathering in new hanbok in front of the ritual table, which is decked out with a multitude of ritual foods. They then bow to their ancestors, followed by prayers and offerings, before eating. The younger generations then bow to their elders and wish them a good New Year, receiving money in return as a Lunar New Year gift. Some families still perform the early morning Seollal rituals, while others simply gather as a family, however most still eat traditional New Year food, such as tteokguk, or rice cake soup.

Many expats and foreigners in the country have never had the chance to take part in the more traditional aspects of the holiday, which is why the National Folk Museum of Seoul is holding a festival where visitors can take part in some of the holiday traditions they might miss out on. Sunday through Tuesday, guests can go and learn how to play traditional folk games, or get their fortune told as well as try traditional New Year snacks. Those born in the year of the dragon can also receive a special red ribbon gift.

The festival will also have a place for visitors to make special handicrafts such as a “bokjumoni” or traditional money pouch, a New Year’s card and knot handcraft. There will also be special performances and traditional Korean and Chinese treats handed out on the hour throughout the festival. The museum is located near Gyeongbokgung, and call (02) 3704-3107 for more information.

Namsangol Hanok Village is also holding special events for Seollal from Saturday to Tuesday. The village is planning to have special folk performances, such as Korean tightrope walking, drum performances, samulnori and a royal dance, as well as other traditions such as kite-making, setting the ancestral table, fortune telling and making traditional masks.

The village is located near Chungmuro Station. For more information call (02) 2266-6923.

Also, the Seoul Namsan Traditional Theater is hosting a series of Lunar New Year concerts on Monday and Tuesday during the holiday. Singer Kim Yong-gu will perform music that mixes traditional folk songs with different music genres such as classical, jazz and rock.

The theater is located near Namsangol Hanok village. Tickets are 1,000 won a piece, and for more information call (02) 2261-0515.

The Seoul Zoo is planning to hold a Welcoming New Year Festival from Saturday to Tuesday. The event includes a showing of a traditional Korean play and an exhibition called “Dream the Dragon” in honor of 2012 being the year of the dragon. Also, visitors can join in on playing traditional Korean games such as yutnori, tuho and jegichagi.

The exhibit runs from January until Feb. 29 at the zoo, located south of Seoul. For more information, call (02) 550-7682.

Also, other historical sites, such as the royal palaces Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung, will keep their regular hours during the holiday. If visitors wear a hanbok, they can gain free admission to the five palaces, the royal shrine of Jongmyo and the royal mausoleums.

By Emma Kalka (kalkae@heraldcorp.com)