추석
추석 (chuseok) is the Korean Thanksgiving day. The day of Korean Thanksgiving is on the fifteenth of August in the lunar calendar. The word 추석 means autumn eve literally, and there are many traditional activities for the celebration of the day.
The first thing is wearing 한복 (hanbok). 한복 is traditional Korean clothing that Koreans wear for important days of their life or traditional holidays. It is a long one-piece for girls, usually with long sleeves. The dress part of 한복is usually puffy and long enough to cover girls’ feet. For boys, they wear a long shirt as well, but with white pants under it.
On the day of Korean Thanksgiving, people will prepare a good meal at home with families and bring a good portion of the food to the graveyard of their ancestors. The food has a large portion of fresh fruits, which are relatively expensive in Korea. After displaying the food in front of the grave, they will pour some 소주 (soju), a traditional Korean drink, onto the grave. This is a way of telling their ancestors that the whole family is living a good life now. By serving the food and soju, they are also hoping that the ancestors are having a good life now, hearing their messages, and bringing blessings to the family for the coming year.
Since the day of 추석 is chosen based on the lunar calendar, it is always a day with a full moon. At night, people would look at the full moon with their family and make wishes for the next year. Many other traditional activities in Korea may vary based on regions, but even in modern society, the core of this holiday is for a family reunion. Nowadays, more and more young people move to Seoul to work, away from their families. Thus, over the Korean Thanksgiving break, most young people would make time to go back home and spend some time with their families.
Reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrnzOZ8FpPk&list=WL&index=7&t=0s
Comments
This was a really great cultural artifact! I had no clue that Korean thanksgiving was a thing. The illustrations you included really capture the essence of the holiday. The part about bringing food from the dinner table to the graveyard for ancestors is definitely deeply rooted in history and is a fascinating cultural component.
Korea and China have many of the same festivals, but some of them are celebrated in very different ways. Your post made me know more about it. The food used to celebrate Mid-Autumn festival in South Korea is different from mooncakes, but it is also meaningful and beautiful. I wore hanbok when I was in Seoul, and it really looked great! The skirt of hanbok is very big, fabric is gauze and silk which can shine in sunshine.
This was a really cool post about Korean thanksgiving! It’s interesting because I used to celebrate this when I was little but now that I am old and have become accustomed to American culture, we stopped celebrating it. Reading about Chusuk and learning about the traditions and ideals was really nostalgic because I remember doing some of these when I was little. The hanbok is in my opinion the biggest and most iconic dress ware in Korean culture.
Amazing post Maggie! I didn't even realize that there was a Thanksgiving day in Korea and it's interesting that the day is based on the lunar calendar when there is a full moon. It's interesting that the way that the Korean Thanksgiving tradition came about. The hanboks are beautiful and something that I admire a lot. They are like works of art.