 |
Nowadays, the three most-celebrated holidays in Korea are: the New Year, Dano, and Chuseok. Also known as 'Hangawi,' Chuseok falls on the 15th of August according to the lunar calendar and is, without a doubt, the nation's most important holiday. Although Chuseok itself is only one day, the holiday period spans that day before and after Chuseok, making for 3 consecutive days of festivities.
During Chuseok, people nationwide flee the city in order to return back to their family's hometowns for the holiday (traditionally to visit relatives on their paternal side). With an amazing 75% of the population on the road during this mass exodus, highways and roads throughout the country are extremely congested. Since train and bus tickets are sold out a least a month in advance, careful planning is an absolute must if you're planning to go anywhere during the holiday period.
Another aspect of the pre-holiday rush is the buying of the customary gifts. Gift boxes of meat, fish, fruit, spam, tuna, and health food are on display at department stores, convenience stores, and supermarkets. Others go for the more convenient option of gift certificates, available at various department stores. Needless to say, the nation's postal service, private home delivery services, and gift delivery centers face one of their busiest seasons of the year during the Chuseok holiday.
Early on Chuseok morning, the family gathers together to perform the traditional ancestral rites. A feast of traditional Korean foods is prepared for the memorial service, after which everyone enjoys the festive meal and exchanges gifts.
Recently some of the traditional customs have been modified. Families may order food from outside and conduct a simplified memorial ritual, which allows people to have more free time during the holiday. Some people use the extra time to travel with families or friends or attend cultural or leisure activities. Also, given the high congestion on roads leading out from the Metropolitan area to other regions, an increasing number of parents opt to visit their children in Seoul, in what is known as the "reverse exodus." Keep reading to learn more about the Chuseok scene in modern-day Korea!
|
| |
Places to go for a Traditional Chuseok experience
Korean Folk Village,
Namsangol Hanok Village,
The National Museum of Korea,
National Folk Museum of Korea,
Gyeongbokgung Palace,
Changgyeonggung Palace,
Changdeokgung Palace,
Deoksugung Palace,
Gyeonghuigung Palace,
2012 Guide to Special Chuseok Events
|
| |
 Related column:
Chuseok – Korean Thanksgiving Day |
|
Before Chuseok |
 |
 Buying and sending gifts
During the Chuseok holidays, it's customary for Koreans to exchange gifts with families, relatives, friends, and business acquaintances in order express their appreciation. Department stores, supermarkets, traditional markets, and home shopping channels begin offering special Chuseok gift sets and items up to a month before Chuseok. The most popular gift items are assorted cuts of beef, fruits such as apples or pears, and fish products such as dried yellow corvina, tilefish, or anchovies. Other popular gift boxes contain hangwa (traditional Korean cookies), wine, cooking oil, spam or tuna, or daily products like shampoo, soap, or toothpaste.
There are gift sets available to suit every budget that range from basic sets to those including handheld games, electronics, or gourmet salt. Through the advancement of IT technology, mobile gift coupons can even be sent to loved ones on their mobile phones.
Despite all the new trends in gift giving, people's favorite Chuseok gifts are cash, gift certificates, health supplements, and beef ribs or fruit boxes. Just before the holidays, it is common to see gifts being exchanged between businesses or distributed to company employees.
Because gifts have become an important part of the Chuseok celebration, the post office, private home delivery services, and gift delivery centers enjoy the busiest season of the year. Many people even find temporary jobs in sales and gift-wrapping during this holiday season. There is no doubt that Chuseok is the most profitable season for the distribution industry. |
| |
Tip for travelers
Boxes containing Chuseok gift items are available at department stores, large convenience stores and supermarkets, or traditional markets. Even if you can't afford one of the luxury sets, it's a good idea to present your Korean friends, co-workers, or family members with a gift at Chuseok to show your love and appreciation. |
| |
|
 |
Booking train tickets
Tickets can be booked through the online reservation system, but are only available for a limited time and sell out quickly. In fact, the online reservation system gets so much traffic that it sometimes even crashes from overuse. Those who haven't made reservations online must rush to the ticket counters on the first day of on-site ticket sales, where they stand in long lines hoping for a ticket. Before and after Chuseok day, train stations and bus terminals are packed with people waiting to board for the mass exodus out of the city. |
| |
Tip for travelers
During the busy holiday season, train or bus tickets can be hard to get, especially on the days immediately before or after Chuseok. If you are planning to travel from one region to another during the holidays, try going on the day of Chuseok itself, as it will be less crowded. |
| |
|
| |
|
During the holidays |
 |
On Chuseok day, everyone gets up early to arrange food on the small, low table set aside for the ancestral memorial rituals. The memorial foods, carefully prepared by the women in the days preceding Chuseok, include various types of fritters, cooked meat, and seasoned vegetables. Recently, more people are opting to order their holiday fare from a catering firm rather than cooking at home.
While cooks may be relieved of one major task, it still takes a great deal of effort and time to set the memorial table according to time-honored custom. After performing the memorial service, people have breakfast together, and then some go out to visit the tomb of their ancestors. Nowadays, it is customary for Koreans to visit the tomb one or two weeks before Chuseok to weed and cut the grass around the graves. Some people hire a landscaping service instead of doing the work themselves. |
 |
Family members get together for the memorial service
The Chuseok holiday is a time for families and relatives to get together and share a meal that traditional includes newly harvested rice, songpyeon rice cakes, various pancakes, and fresh fruits. Adult children present special gifts and cash envelopes to their parents, and exchange gifts with other members of the family. In the past, people presented gifts to their family, but nowadays, it is more common to give cash or gift certificates (gift sets are still purchased for those outside the immediate family). This is not only convenient, but allows recipients to purchase something they really want. After the morning memorial service, some family members visit their ancestor's tomb, while others may go out to visit a tourist site or enjoy a movie or other leisure activity. In the evening, everyone gets together to have drinks, visit a nearby bar, or take a stroll under the light of the full moon. |
| |
Tip for travelers
Most stores and places of business are closed on Chuseok, so make sure to purchase anything you need ahead of time. A number of major tourist sites in Seoul remain open during the holidays and even offered Chuseok events and performances, so make sure to check them out.
2012 Chuseok Holiday Schedules at Major Sites & Shops |
| |
|
 |
Movies and TV programs on Chuseok
Chuseok is one of the busiest seasons for theaters since people are off from work and looking for fun. Various genres including drama, action, thriller, romance, and comedy are showing and there are also more family and romance movies than at any other times. During the Chuseok holiday, television stations and radios air movies and special Chuseok programs. |
 |
Changing Chuseok scenes
Nowadays, an increasing number of people are choosing to travel instead of performing the traditional memorial rites with the rest of the family. The main reasons for this new trend are the increased number of Christian households who don't perform the memorial service for religious reasons and the growing number of people who don't want to fight the holiday crowds and navigate the busy streets. Others simply want to have a chance to use their precious few days off from work to take a trip.
Since Koran workers usually get only four to seven days of summer vacation, major holidays like the Lunar New Year and Chuseok are a great opportunity for an extended holiday, since vacation days can be used in conjunction with the weekend and holidays. Some Koreans even view Chuseok as a time for facial enhancement, making it a peak season for plastic surgeons and ophthalmologists. These activities, hardly imaginable ten years ago, reflect the changing concept of Chuseok in Korea.
|
| |
|
After the holidays |
Chuseok holiday syndrome
During the Chuseok holiday, wives spend countless hours rushing around buying gifts, working in the homes of in-laws, preparing holiday food, and washing dishes. These taxing chores often lead to physical and psychological symptoms that manifest themselves during the weeks before and after the holiday. The Koreans have gone so far as to coin a special term for this set of symptoms: the Chuseok Syndrome. |
| |
|
|
Quick Menu
Guides
