January 1st on the lunar calendar, or Seollal as it is called in Korean, is one of the most popular and widely celebrated holidays in Korea. During the holiday a variety of traditional foods are eaten and an equally large number of games are played as well. Among these one of the most prominent is jegichagi. Jegichagi is a game similar to hacky sack in which a shuttlecock, made of coins wrapped in paper with feathers attached, must be kept in the air using nothing but one¡¯s feet. Legend states that the game developed from young martial artists¡¯ training that involved kicking small leather pouches. The game is generally played with four people. They pass the shuttlecock from each other in order of the cardinal directions from north to east to west to south. If a person allows the shuttlecock to hit the ground that person is eliminated. And then the game proceeds until there is only one person remaining. Creating shuttlecocks can also be a fun activity, but for the less adventurous they are available at most school supply stores.
[Input: Jan.04, 2007, 11:29/Modified: Feb.21, 2007, 13:34]
Source : Tourism Marketing Division, Seoul Metropolitan Government
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