In English, the standard season's greetings would be, "Happy new year." In Korean, it is "새해 복 많이 받으세요 (sae hae bok mahn-ee baduseyo)," or somewhere along the lines of: "May you receive a lot of blessing for the new year." The western one celebrates the changing of the year, impersonally. The eastern one is much more specific: it wishes happiness for the particular person, for the year ahead of him or her. A sense of giving. They are just words, but there is something nice about being able to give someone your blessings. So, whatever that blessing means to you, and whoever you are: I hope the new year ahead of you will be full of great things.


(The photo is of Jungdongjin, which means Directly East Bay, originating from its location directly east of the Korean imperial palace. Many people go to watch the first sunrise of a year.)