"Lighten Up the Jesasang Offerings," Say Sungkyunkwan Scholars with a Sharp Rebuke

Simplifying Seol Culture... Popularity of Convenience Foods and Meal Kits
Some Skip Ancestral Rites at Hometown and Travel Abroad

#Housewife Go Eun-seon (55) hardly prepared any food for the upcoming Seollal ancestral rites table. Go said, "In the past, many relatives would come during the holidays and help a lot, making food preparation easier, but since COVID-19, the number of relatives visiting for the holidays has decreased," adding, "This Seollal holiday was also a small gathering." She continued, "Since fewer people gathered, the ancestral rites naturally became simplified," and "The number of dishes to prepare decreased, so I ordered online or bought ritual foods from side dish stores."

A new holiday custom that began to emerge after COVID-19 is becoming mainstream. Rather than observing formalities to honor ancestors, more people prefer to spend the holidays resting comfortably. Instead of visiting relatives' homes as a family, some choose to travel or simplify the ancestral rites.

"Simplification of the ancestral rites table is necessary"... Convenience meal kits gaining popularity

[Image source=Pixabay]

This year, the trend of simplifying the ancestral rites table was clearly evident again, as it was last year. Especially, using convenience meals or meal kits allows preparation of holiday food without the hassle of gathering ingredients, drawing attention as a way to reduce the burden of holiday grocery shopping amid high prices. There is also an evaluation that convenience meal ancestral rites tables have already become a culture of their own.

Twenty-something office worker Kang said, "I don't think it's necessary to be obsessed with ancestral rites or memorial services," adding, "We struggle to cook even one meal a day, and usually, people put out better food with great care for the ancestral rites table, right?" He continued, "Considering the time, effort, and cost involved in the food, it should be simplified," and "I think this culture itself might disappear in the next generation."

In fact, many agree that the ancestral rites table should be simplified. According to a survey by Incruit of 828 members, 66.7% of respondents said they would "simplify" the preparation of the ancestral rites table this year. They cited reasons such as ▲reducing the burden of housework (47.6%) ▲burden of ingredient costs due to high prices (44.0%) ▲faster and more efficient than making it themselves (37.6%).

Some even skip the memorial rites altogether and choose to travel. Kim, a 27-year-old living in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, decided to spend this Seollal holiday in Jeju Island. Kim said, "Since I work, the holidays are the only time I can relax comfortably," adding, "I also asked my relatives for their understanding in advance."

Sungkyunkwan: "You don't have to fry Jeon during Seollal"

The Seonggyungwan Ritual Establishment Committee announced the 'Simplification of Ancestral Rites' plan on the 5th at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. The photo shows an ancestral rite table set with nine dishes according to the simplification plan. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, the Sungkyunkwan Ritual Establishment Committee and others announced a plan for "Simplifying the Seollal ancestral rites together" at a press conference held on the morning of the 16th at the China Press Center in Seoul.

The committee suggested regarding the Seollal ancestral rites table, "There is no set rule for the types of fruits to be placed on the table, so you can choose comfortably, and you don't have to go through the trouble of frying Jeon (Korean pancakes)," adding, "Foods fried or pan-fried in oil do not necessarily have to be on the ancestral rites table. You can stop the hard work of frying Jeon now."