STAFF REPORT
PASCACK PRESS
RIVER VALE, N.J.—Roberge Elementary School celebrated Lunar New Year on Friday, Feb. 8 with the help of the Korean Parents Group and students in a dazzling day of cultural pride.
The festivities opened with Principal Stephen Wren donning a hanbok, a colorful traditional Korean garment. He introduced Seollal, the Korean term for Lunar New Year, this year Feb. 5, as one of the most important Korean holidays on the calendar.
“The primary purpose of Seollal is to pay respect to ancestors but it has also become a mechanism of keeping families together. As parents and siblings drift apart due to work, school, marriage, and other obligations, Seollal brings the family together for a time of respect and happiness,” Wren said.
Korean New Year usually lasts three days: the day before Korean New Year, New Year’s Day itself, and the day after. Many Koreans visit family, perform ancestral rites, wear hanbok, eat traditional foods, and play folk games. Children often receive money from their elders after performing a
formal bow.
In the Korean zodiac, 2019 is The Year of the Golden Pig, which comes every 60 years and is said to signify good luck.
That said, according to the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Pig is traditionally the unluckiest year, “with trouble and danger lurking at every corner,” according to a piece in the Korea Herald. Korean New Year is the same as Chinese New Year.
The Roberge program consisted of students performing a hwagwanmu, or floral coronet dance, led by Korean Traditional Art Academy’s HaeSun Jung; a dynamic taekwondo demonstration led by Master Lee of Top Mixed Martial Arts; and a traditional percussive performance, Nanta, which integrates nonverbal performance with traditional Samulnori rhythm.
The festivities also included guest ShinMyung Samulnori Performance Team, whose performance included traditional Korean musical instruments: Kwanenggwari (small gong), Janggu (an hourglass-shaped drum), and Buk (a barrel drum similar to a bass drum).
According to Becky Yoon, head of the Korean Parents Group at Roberge Elementary School, children and staff look forward to the event every year.
Many staff and parents agreed, saying how wonderful it was to be able to experience the Lunar New Year celebration together.
At the finale, fifth-grader Joey Kim thanked Wren and the Roberge community, saying, “Thank you, Mr. Wren, for supporting us with everything we do and giving us an opportunity to share our culture with our friends.”
The Korean Parents Group also recently purchased for Roberge a striking new entryway floor mat, depicting a rocket ship in flight.
