In September of each year, South Korea celebrates its harvest festival known as Chuseok, or Korean Thanksgiving Day. This holiday is one of the most important holidays in Korean culture, with a special emphasis on familial ties.
Chuseok is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month during the lunar calendar, and it has been celebrated in South Korea for thousands of years.
Although it was originally celebrated in conjunction with the harvest, it has become a time of family and food, with many rituals honoring family members who have come before. Only Seollal (Lunar New Year) can be considered just as important.
As part of my two-month fall stay in South Korea, I had the opportunity to experience Chuseok, though not entirely in the traditional way. Because tourism in South Korea has recently skyrocketed, festivals and entertainment were scattered throughout the Chuseok holiday for foreigners and locals.
Seoul, which is normally a bustling city that hardly ever sleeps, gave off an eerie quiet when I set off to the festivities.
Many restaurants I walked by every day were closed, and the trains were almost entirely empty. Many people told me that long-distance train and bus tickets, as well as flights, had been booked out months in advance. The night before Chuseok, I saw a large traffic jam from my window of people trying to leave the city to go see their families.
The Seoul Arts Festival in celebration of Chuseok covered Seoul Plaza, Cheonggyecheon Stream and the area surrounding Gyeongbokgung Palace. The nearby K-Food Festival featured some of the street foods South Korea is famous for.
After watching a circus performance at Cheonggyecheon Stream, I headed to the K-Food Festival, where I enjoyed a delicious Korean corn dog (this one was breaded with small pieces of potato), chili paste tteokbokki, a strawberry latte and chocolate gelato.
Other food trucks frequenting the festival offered Korean fried chicken, steak in various forms and more. Every open area was full of people, enjoying food and playing traditional Chuseok games that had been set up.
Games that are a significant part of Chuseok festivities include yutnori (a board game that utilizes sticks) and tuho (a game where players throw sticks into a container). At this celebration, organizers also offered archery (South Korea is well known for its proficiency in the Olympics) and a Korean version of hacky sack.
Due to the three-day holiday, held Monday through Wednesday this year, entrance into Seoul’s palaces were free, allowing visitors and locals alike to explore the incredible and majestic palaces that dot the landscape of Seoul. Because I was already near Gyeongbokgung Palace, I visited that one.
People flooded the palaces, with many wearing hanbok, the traditional Korean clothing. After the palaces closed, I made my way back to Seoul Plaza, where I enjoyed a moon celebration in honor of Chuseok. A giant “moon” was displayed over the plaza, and various dancers and musicians performed.
At the end of the evening, many people sat in comfy chairs in front of Gyeongbukgung Palace, where a giant screen had been erected. There, hundreds of people watched a popular Korean movie, complete with English subtitles so everyone could enjoy it.
In traditional Chuseok celebrations, families usually begin the festivities with a ritual called “Charye,” where families prepare a grand meal in honor of their ancestors. A table is set up with beautifully arranged food, including rice, fruits and traditional dishes like songpyeon (rice cakes filled with a sweet filling), bulgogi (marinated beef), jeon (savory pancakes), many different kinds of kimchi and more.
Families will also sometimes visit graves of ancestral family members to pay their respects.
Chuseok has many parallels to Thanksgiving Day in the United States, minus the obvious differences of origin. Both holidays emphasize thankfulness, time with family and togetherness. Like America’s Thanksgiving Day, people travel long distances to reunite with their families to celebrate Chuseok.
Although this was my first time celebrating Chuseok, I loved being able to experience a meaningful holiday in a country that has become like a second home.
