Description: Eating tteokguk means growing a year older. Seungwoo, who has a small appetite and sensitive taste, and Seungmin, who has a great personality and a hearty appetite, are brothers born just a year apart. Even though there's only one year between them, older brother Seungwoo always gets new things, while Seungmin has to make do with hand-me-downs, which he finds quite unfair. During Lunar New Year, the family goes to their grandparents' house to celebrate, but everyone only calls out Seungwoo's name, leaving Seungmin feeling hurt. Even during the ancestral rite bows, he had to stand at the very back by himself. Feeling upset, he didn't want to eat breakfast, but since eating tteokguk means becoming a year older, Seungmin ate two bowls of it. But Seungwoo didn't eat any tteokguk at all. So doesn't that mean Seungmin is the big brother now? How Our People Celebrate the First Day of the New Year The first day of the first month of the new year is called 'Seollal.' Originally, Seollal referred to the first day of the lunar new year, but nowadays, January 1st on the solar calendar is sometimes called 'Solar New Year' and the first day of the lunar calendar is called 'Lunar New Year.' However, Seollal was traditionally our people's greatest holiday, spanning from the first day of the lunar new year to Daeboreum (the 15th day of the first lunar month). On the morning of Seollal, families hold ancestral rites (charye) and then visit ancestral graves (seongmyo). People wear new clothes called 'seolbim' for the occasion. As for food, rice cakes (garaetteok) are made and prepared into tteokguk. Additionally, people bow to their elders to wish them a happy new year, a custom called 'sebae.' Saying "Saehae bok mani badeuseyo" (Happy New Year, may you receive much fortune), those who receive the bow offer words of wisdom and give children New Year's money. Seollal has a long history. Historical records from the Silla era show that our ancestors exchanged New Year's greetings, the king held banquets for his subjects, and rites were performed for the sun god. This shows that Seollal was celebrated even before that time. As society shifted from an agricultural to an industrial one, this traditional culture has changed and become much simpler. Nowadays, people celebrate Seollal with just a three-day holiday, much shorter than before, and some even celebrate the solar New Year instead. However, the practice of remembering ancestors on the first day of the new year, gathering with family to exchange greetings, share food, and celebrate together will continue for generations to come. Traditional Culture Education: From Kindergarten Nuri Curriculum to Elementary School Textbooks Traditional culture is a required learning topic within the social relationships area of the Nuri Curriculum, covering Korea's traditions and culture. This emphasis continues into the revised elementary curriculum for grades 1-2, where traditional culture education has become even more prominent. This reflects the growing importance placed on fostering a sense of community. Among the things children need to learn during their kindergarten years, the importance of traditional culture has grown significantly. Let children discover and enjoy these traditions naturally through this picture book.