Tomorrow is the beginning of the lunar new year holiday or seollal.

And One of the important parts of the Lunar New Year holiday is the Jesa Ceremony or the ancestor memorial service. This ceremony is usually held at least once a year usually on the day the ancestor passed away. The person that conducts the ceremony is usually the oldest son. If there is no eldest son in the family then it is usually held by the daughters and their husbands.

The most important part of the holiday is the Jesa Table. The table is covered with many types of food which is an offering for the ancestors. Essentially, the food welcomes the ancestor to the home and to enjoy the food. The food is placed a on a large floor table before a large screen that could have a scene of nature or of Chinese calligraphy. The screen is always placed to the north and the idea is that dead comes from the north and sits behind the screen and enjoy a mirror reflection of the food. In the past by the screen a family would put a Shinwi or the "spiritual body" which is a plaque. These days many people place a portrait of the deceased.

Now on the food table there is a certain order the food should be placed. The colors are important, so the jesa table usually very diverse. The first row is for desserts. Commonly there should be at least 4 such as dates, chestnuts, pears or apples, or persimmons. The fruits should be cut so the deceased can eat the spirit of the food.
On the second row is for banchan or side dishes. This usually has some dried fish like dried cod. This row will have bean sprouts, spinach and white kimchi. The foods for Jesa will be made without garlic, onions or chilies because it is believed they offend the deceased.

The third row is for soups usually there will be three or so. They can be made of beef, chicken or fish.
The fourth row is for meats and more substantial side dishes such as grilled fish whose head should point to the east. If the meat is poultry, the head and the feet are removed. This row has jeon or Korean savory pancakes.
The fifth and final row is for main dishes such as rice, rice cakes and soup. This row will have a rice and soup setting for each person that is being remembered.

Cheongju or Korean rice alcohol is prepared for each person.

To perform the ceremony, members of the family will bow before the jesa table and offer alcohol and food to the deceased by pouring the alcohol and by moving the pairs of chopsticks to different foods. After the ancestors eat the food, the family would then clear the table and then eat the food themselves. It is a beautiful way to honor the memory of the deceased.