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Although Chuseok is just one of the big holidays in Korea, it is by far the biggest and most important. Family members from near and far come together to share food, stories and give thanks to their ancestors for the abundant harvest. This year, Korea’s representative traditional holiday of Chuseok falls on October 3rd of the solar calendar. It will last three days, from October 2nd to October 4th and marks a prime opportunity for foreign visitors to tour Korea’s cities and experience Korea’s culture while all the bustling crowds are away visiting family relatives. Let us look a little deeper at what Chuseok represents for Koreans.
 

Chuseok (or Hangawi)

As one of Korea’s three major holidays, the other two being Seollal (New Year’s Day) and Dano (the 5th of the 5th month of the year according to the lunar calendar), Chuseok is also referred to as Hangawi, which means the ides of August, or August 15th, according to the lunar calendar. Hangawi was the day on which Koreans, an agrarian people throughout most of history, thanked their ancestors for the year’s harvest and shared their abundance with family and friends. Although the exact origin of Chuseok is unclear, the tradition can be traced back to ancient religious practices focusing on the role of the moon. The sun’s presence was considered routine, but the full moon that came once a month, brightening the dark night, was considered a special and meaningful event. Therefore, festivities took place on the day of the largest full moon, August 15th of the lunar calendar, which became one of the most important days of celebration throughout Korea to this day.
 

Chuseok Customs

-Charye (ancestor memorial services)
On Chuseok morning, family members gather at their homes to hold memorial services in honor of their ancestors called Charye. Formal Charye services are held twice a year during Seollal (New Year’s Day) and Chuseok. The difference between the two services is that during Seollal the major representative food is white tteokguk, a rice cake soup, while during Chuseok the major representative food is freshly harvested rice. After the service, the family members sit down together at the table to enjoy delicious food that symbolizes their blessings.

- Beolcho (removing weeds around the grave) and Seongmyo (visiting ancestral graves)
Visiting ancestral graves during Chuseok is known as ‘Seongmyo’ and during this visit, family members usually remove the weeds that have grown around the graves in the summer season. Taking care of the ancestral graves and clearing the weeds is called ‘Beolcho’. This custom is considered a duty and expression of devotion. 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.

- Ssireum (Korean wrestling)
In the past, the strongest of the villagers gathered to hold wrestling competitions. The sport of wrestling on sand while being surrounded by spectators became a traditional favorite in Korea. The last wrestler standing was considered the winner and was acknowledged as the villager’s strongest man and took home cotton, rice, or a calf as his prize. Today, Ssireum (Korean wrestling) competitions are still held in the form of one-on-one folk competitions to determine the strongest man in Korea.

- Ganggangsullae (Korean circle dance)
Mothers and daughters dressed in hanbok (traditional Korean clothings) gather around in a circle, holding hands and singing together. This dance originated from the Joseon Dynasty during the Japanese invasion when the Korean army dressed Korean mothers and daughters in military uniforms and had them circle a mountain peak to make the Japanese think the Korean military was greater in number than it actually was. Through this strategy, the Koreans were eventually able to defeat the Japanese.

- Chuseokbim (Chuseok dress)
Traditionally, as part of Chuseok, the head of the household would buy new clothes for everyone, including the servants. This custom was known as Chuseokbim. Usually, a traditional hanbok was worn, but nowadays newly purchased clothes are not limited to hanbok. Today, families will often wear a modern type of hanbok called Chuseokbim, hold Charye services, and enjoy their time together.

Chuseok Food

Korean Folk Village 2009 Chuseok Holidays Event

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During the Chuseok holiday, most businesses are closed except for tourist attractions and places that have prepared Chuseok ceremonies. So be sure to check the holiday schedule of your destination. You can check the holiday schedule for some of the major tourist attractions by looking at the links below.

→ 2009 Chuseok Events Information
→ 2009 Major Chuseok Tourist Attractions and Store Closing Dates