Celebrate the Year of the Snake with SAAM and the KCCDC! Join us for SAAM's 11th and final year of showcasing the ways different Asian cultures celebrate the Lunar New Year. Attendees will enjoy dance and musical performances, crafts, traditional Chinese and Korean art demonstrations, family-friendly activities, and more. The Courtyard Café will offer special holiday treats for purchase to honor the occasion.

Special Korean highlights to celebrate Seollal (설날) include performances by Washington Samulnori, Di Dim Sae Korean Traditional Art Institute, and K-Pop dance teams from The George Washington University and American University, a rich traditional charye (차례) table display, and hands-on craft activities including making lanterns, and paper crafts. Plus, stop in for special giveaways of K-Pop albums and merch while supplies last!

This program is presented by SAAM in partnership with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and the KCCDC.

Seollal, known generally as the Lunar New Year outside Korea, falls on January 29 in 2025. It is one of the most important traditional holidays in Korea and other countries where it is celebrated. Traditionally, Seollal is an intimate family-oriented holiday with a rich history that binds generations together. It is a time to reconnect with loved ones at home, enjoy traditional foods, pay respects to ancestors and elders, wear Hanbok clothing, play folk games, and wish one another well. All of these fulfilling cultural traditions have been part of Korean life and society for centuries. The KCCDC hopes to share this sentiment through these events while bringing together the greater DC community.

Lunar New Year Family Celebration

Saturday, February 1, 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM)

Presented in partnership with the KCCDC

Visit the SAAM website HERE for details and free ticket reservations!

SCHEDULE

Music and Dance Performance Schedule

11:45-12:05 PM | Opening Lion Dance, CYC Dance Team

12:15-12:45 PM | DI DIM SAE Korean Traditional Art Institute Mega Drum and Dance (KCCDC)

12:50-1:05 PM | Wah Luck Dancers

1:10-1:30 PM | K-Pop Dance by GWU & AU student K-Pop student club (KCCDC)

1:35- 2:10 PM | Simba Dojang demonstration

2:15-2:35 PM | Samulnori Performance by Sebastian Wang (KCCDC)

2:40-3:00 PM | Hung Ci Lion Dance

KCCDC Experiences & Activities 

- Tradition Charye (차례상) Ancestral Rites Table Display 

- K-Pop Album Giveaway (while supplies last, visit for details!)

- Arts and Paper Crafts:

- Cheongsachorong (Korean Lantern)

- Bokjumeoni (Lucky Pouch)

- Ddakji (Folded paper squares game)

- Gyeongbokgung Royal Palace Coloring