Chuseok (추석) is one of the biggest and most
important holidays in Korea. Family members from near and far come
together to share food and stories and to give thanks to their
ancestors. In 2015, Chuseok Day falls on September 27. Also, the
substitute holiday applies to the Chuseok holiday this year on
September 29 as an extra day off, making a 4-day holiday from September
26 to September 27.
Many Koreans will visit their family homes to spend quality time
together, and the holidays provide a good opportunity to enjoy
traditional cultural experiences throughout Korea. Let’s take a closer
look at the traditional Korean holiday of Chuseok.
The Meaning of Chuseok (Hangawi)
Chuseok is one of Korea’s three major holidays,
along with Seollal (New Year’s Day) and Dano (the 5th day of the 5th
month of the lunar year) and is also referred to as Hangawi (한가위). Han means “big” and gawi means “the ides of August or autumn” (August 15th according to the lunar calendar is when the full harvest moon appears).
Chuseok Customs
Charye (Ancestor Memorial Services)
On morning of the day of Chuseok, family members gather at their homes to hold memorial services (called
Charye,
차례) in honor of their ancestors. Formal Charye services are held
twice a year: during Seollal (Lunar New Year’s Day) and Chuseok. The
difference between the two services is that during Seollal the major
representative food is
tteokguk, a rice cake soup, while during Chuseok the major representative foods are freshly harvested rice, alcohol and
songpyeon (rice cakes). After the service, family members sit down together at the table to enjoy delicious food.
Beolcho (clearing the weeds around the grave) and Seongmyo (visiting ancestral graves)
Visiting ancestral graves during Chuseok is known as
Seongmyo
(성묘). During this visit, family members remove the weeds that have
grown around the graves in the summer season, a practice which is
called
Beolcho (벌초). This custom is considered a duty and
expression of devotion and respect for one’s family. On the weekends,
about one month prior to the Chuseok holidays, Korea’s highways become
extremely congested with families visiting their ancestral graves to
fulfill their familial duties. The graves are then visited again during
Chuseok.
Ssireum (Korean wrestling)
During the match, two competitors face each other in the middle of
a circular sandpit and try to pin their opponent using their strength
and skills, running through a one on one tournament. The last wrestler
left standing after a series of competitions is considered the winner
and is named the village’s strongest man, taking home cotton, rice, or a
calf as his prize.
Ganggangsullae (Korean circle dance)
In this dance, women dressed in Hanbok (traditional Korean
clothing) join hands in a circle and sing together on a night when the
full harvest moon appears or on Chuseok. There are several stories
about its origin. One of the most well-known story says that the dance
dates back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) when the Korean army used
to dress the young women of the village in military uniforms and had
them circle the mountains to look like that the Korean military was
greater in number than it actually was from the enemy side. The Korean
army enjoyed many victories thanks to this scare tactic.
Chuseokbim (Chuseok dress)
Bim refers to adorning oneself with new clothes for holidays or parties. Broadly speaking, there are two bims:
seolbim and
chuseokbim.
In the past, people adorned themselves with Korean traditional dress,
hanbok, but people currently purchase new western clothes or do not
prepare bim at all.
Chuseok Food
Songpyeon
Songpyeon (송편) is one of the quintessential dishes for Chuseok.
This rice cake is prepared with rice powder that is kneaded into a size
that is a little smaller than a golf ball, and then filled with sesame
seed, beans, red beans, chestnuts, or other nutritious ingredients.
When steaming the songpyeon, the rice cakes are layered with pine
needles to add the delightful fragrance of pine. On the eve of Chuseok,
the entire family gathers together to make songpyeon. An old Korean
anecdote says that the person who makes beautifully-shaped songpyeon
will meet a good spouse or give birth to a beautiful baby. It is no
wonder that all the single members of a family try their best to make
the most beautiful songpyeon!
Liquors
Another major element of Chuseok is traditional liquor. On
Chuseok, families and relatives gather together and hold a memorial
service for their ancestors with liquor made of the newly harvest rice.
After the memorial service, they sit together and spend some time
together as a family, drinking the liquor and eating food.
Recommended Places to Visit for the Chuseok Holidays
During Chuseok, many cultural sites including the
ancient palaces in Seoul, the Korean Folk Village, and Namsangol Hanok
Village host special holiday events for visitors. This year, the
Korean Folk Village will host folk games and traditional performances from September 12 to 29 and the
Namsangol Hanok Village likewise on September 27 and 28.
Deoksugung Palace
as well as Jongmyo Shrine will also be holding special Chuseok holiday
programs, and during the Chuseok holidays, the palaces including
Gyeongbokgung Palace,
Changdeokgung Palace and Huwon [UNESCO World Heritage] and
Changgyeonggung Palace, along with the shrine and the Joseon Royal Tombs will offer free admission to visitors wearing a hanbok.
If you are looking to delve even deeper into the meaning of Chuseok,
visit the Korean Folk Village to experience their special holiday
programs. Reenactment of Chuseok customs and ancestral rites, making of
songpyeon and catching performances such as
nongak (farmers’ music), tight-rope walking, and martial arts on horseback will be offered.
☞ Places for Chuseok Folk Games and Events
☞ Related News
TIP!
During the holiday season, make sure to double-check the
operation hours of your desired destinations, since most places of
business are closed at some point during the Chuseok holidays. Folk
event venues listed above and many major tourist attractions are open
all year-round. For more Chuseok holiday information, please check the
following links.
* This column was last updated in September 2015,
and therefore information may differ from what is presented here. We
advise you to check details from the official websites before visiting.
<Last updated on September 24, 2015>
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