Chuseok: Celebrating A Korean Holiday

Towards the end of the year, cultures all around the world partake in holidays that celebrate the togetherness of friends and family. These different holidays include Thanksgiving in the United States, Kaamatan in Malaysia, Sukkot in Israel, and many more.

In South Korea, this harvest-centered holiday is called Chuseok. Sometimes referred to as Hangawi, this 3 day festival celebrates familial connection and agricultural success.

During Chuseok, families travel from all over the country to return to their ancestral homes.

This causes major traffic jams as nearly half of South Korea's population leaves Seoul for other provinces.

Festivities start by thanking ancestors for the year's plentiful harvest.

With agricultural celebration at the root of the holiday, it is no surprise that traditional foods are an extremely important part of Chuseok. The preparations for the holiday meals are typically affairs for the entire family to participate in.

Popular foods that are often made during Chuseok include a rice cake called songpyeon. These delicious treats are often white, yellow, pink, or green, and have an array of fillings. Most often, you'll see songpyeon with red bean, chestnut, sesame, or honey filling.

Japchae, a glass noodle dish, is also served around the celebration. Bibimbap and bulgogi are also commonly seen during festivities. Not to mention, the meals must include the fruits and veggies from the harvest being celebrated.

Chuseok is also one of the of the occasions that is often associated with hanboks. Hanboks are traditional clothing that are worn for holidays, milestone birthdays, weddings, and more.

As wearable art, hanboks showcase Korean style and design. The loose fitted clothing was created to give wearers freedom in their movement and expression. Often being used to show social hierarchy, hanboks have been worn for over 2,000 years.

Although hanboks have a very long history, most modern hanboks are designed similarly to those made in the 1600s. Through these more modern designs, there are visual well-wishes in the color or pattern of the fabrics.

For example, peonies are thought to signify honor and wealth. Many brides will have peonies incorporated into their wedding hanboks.

Historically, phoenixes, dragons, cranes, and tigers were often worn by high raking officials and royalty as symbols of strength and power.

Hanboks also follow the "five colors theory" of Korea. This theory comes from the idea that colors signify different elements in the earth that must stay balanced. Examples can also been seen in foods such as japchae and bibimbap.

There are many ways in which individuals or families may choose to spend Chuseok. Whether spending the holiday making rice cakes with family, or just being glad to have a few days off from work, all Koreans celebrate Chuseok with thankful hearts.

As we celebrate what the year has brought and look forward to what lies in front of us, Fantalk wishes you a very happy Chuseok holiday!

Did any of these traditions sound interesting to you? We'd love to know your thoughts on the holiday or any ways you may celebrate!