Save Your Blessings

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February 8, Monday

Seollal (Korean New Year)

Jimin bounced down the stairs holding hands with Taehyung. Everyone was gathering in the living room. Once the group was all in attendance, they would move to the Charye. To start the charye, each member of the family starts with cleaning their body and donning traditional Korean clothing. The food for the jesa table had been prepared ahead of time and set before the altar to the family's ancestors. The traditional ritual is for five generations, but more modern rituals are for two generations, and it always takes place at the home of the eldest descendant.

Since so many families lived together in the pack house, the altars were set up in each of the officials' offices. Jeon Family in Leader Jeon's office, Guardian Kim in KeonHo office, Beta Jung in HyunJo office, Pack Doctor Kim in Sukjong's office, and Hunter Park in Pilwoo office. The Min ancestor names were side by side with the Jeon ancestor names. That way, Yoongi could honor his birth father's ancestors as well as his stepfather's.

"Saehae bok mani badeuseyo." They both said at the same time. (May you receive many blessings in the new year.)

Everyone returned the greeting. Jimin gave Yoongi a kiss before sitting down next to him. Usually, they would split up. But this year, Yoongi would go with the Parks to be introduced to their ancestors and perform the ritual rites with them as future son-in-law and head of household. The food is arranged in a particular order. The family will ritually bow to show respect for their ancestors before starting to eat. Each family has its own way of performing Jesa ceremonies.

In Korea, it is believed that the spirit does not immediately leave Earth after someone dies, but instead, the spirit remains with its surviving family members for multiple generations. During this time, the spirit is still considered part of the family. Traditions celebrate and honor those deceased family members as a way to show respect. The relationship between the living and the dead are important. And the Jesa is a way to strengthen those bonds. Koreans who take good care of their ancestors encourage the spirits to look over all living descendants.

(**a/n: charye - where the family bow to their ancestors.)

Each family in the village were gathered for their own ancestor ritual. So, the village and pack house was quiet. It took a little over 3 hours to perform all the rituals, with several overlapping. After they performed the charye, the younger generation bowed to the older generation in the sebae ceremony.