South Korea congratulated India as the country will be celebrating its 75th Republic Day on January 26 by distributing 300 rice cake packs to local people through an NGO on Monday.
To commemorate the 75th Republic Day on January 26 in India and Korean New Year's Day in the lunar calendar ('Seollal') on February 1, Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI) distributed 300 Korean sweet rice cakes in the colors of the Indian flag to local people.
While celebrating India's Republic Day, KCCI introduced the Korean 'New Year' celebration, the culture of sharing food and rice cakes with neighbors, read KCCI press release.
Hwang Il-yong, Director of Korean Cultural Centre India said, "I was thinking about how to practice the role of a friend who is with you and cheers you up during difficult times in India amidst the third wave of Corona, and then we planned and carried out this project. I sincerely congratulate India on its 75th Republic Day, which has achieved its independence through a nonviolent pacifist movement despite difficult circumstances and has continued to overcome difficult situations like us, Korea."
"In Korea, we also are in celebration mood for our Lunar New Year Day, a great national holiday & festival on 1st February. So we prepared a special gift, sweet rice cake with the meaning of the Lunar New Year, when the whole family gathers to celebrate the New Year and shares rice cakes and food to fulfill the hope and wishes for the New Year. I hope the local people in Delhi will warm their hearts with new hopes this year through this gift of Korean rice cake in 3 colors which symbolizes the national flag of India," he added.
The Korean food distribution was done in five areas of Delhi which included in North -Kashmiri Gate ISBT & Mori Gate, in West Mahipalpur and Uttam Nagar, in East East Lajpat Nagar flyover, in South Moti Bagh and Sanjay Camp and in Central at Motilal Nehru camp, New Delhi, read the release.
A volunteer-oriented non-profit organization (NGO), 'Aasha Aur Pragati' which runs local slum relief and education projects for especially vulnerable youth volunteered to deliver the rice cakes and share the joy and hope with people.
India celebrates its 75th Republic Day since the Constitution of India as an independent republic was enacted and came into effect on January 26, 1950.
Although the Constitution had already been passed by the Indian Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949, the reason that it was announced in effect on January 26 of the following year is that India's Declaration of Independence was issued on January 26, 1930, just like Korea's '3.1 Declaration of Independence' on March 1, 1919, from Japan colonization.
Korea has celebrated March 1st as a national holiday for commemorating this Independence declaration. And two countries have the same date of Independence Day, 15th August, Korea achieved its Independence on August 15, 1945.
Korean New Year (Seollal) is one of the major Korean national festivals and holidays commemorating the first day of the Korean lunar calendar.
The celebration usually lasts three days Koreans meet and greet each other, seek blessings, perform ancestral rites, wear Hanbok (their traditional dress), share and eat traditional food like rice cakes and play folk games together.
( With inputs from ANI )
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