Chuseok (Autumn Eve Holiday)

Chuseok is one of the most famous holidays in Korea. Our ancestors thought this holiday was very important, therefore they celebrated it with great care and sincerity. However, people these days do not realize the proper significance of this holiday and do not follow the traditions of this day. As a Korean student who has observed the celebrations of Chuseok, I would like to tell you more about Chuseok along with its origins, traditions, and food.

Origins

Chuseok has mainly two origins. The first origin is called Gabe (Gah-Beh). This is a popular belief and originated from the Silla Kingdom. During Gabe, two teams competed against each other in a weaving contest. The winning team, the team that had woven more cloth, would be served a feast by the losing team. It is said that archery competitions, and martial arts demonstrations were also a part of Gabe. Another belief is that Chuseok originated from ancient shamanistic celebrations of the harvest moon. The belief is that Chuseok was a worship ritual. There is evidence to suggest that, in some regions, the people postponed the worship rituals if there was no harvest.

Traditions

Currently, the tradition is in South Korea is that people visit their hometowns to pay respect to the spirits of their ancestors. Then, they go to their ancestors’ tombs and plant flowers or offer food and drinks. People believe that the harvest of crops are the blessing of their ancestors, so Chuseok is often translated as Korean thanksgiving. Charye (Char-ye) is one of the traditional customs Koreans have been doing for years. The meaning of Charye is to give back the favors our ancestors have given us. It is done during the morning of Chuseok, usually honoring four generations back. We put food on the table for our ancestors to eat. The specific foods vary between all regions.

Food

One of the major foods that are prepared for Chuseok is Hangwa. This is an artistic food with natural colours and textured patterns. Hangwa is not only eaten during Chuseok, but it is also eaten during other special events like weddings and birthday parties. Another popular food prepared for Chuseok is Songpyeon. Songpyeon is a traditional rice cake from Korea that has different kinds of stuffing inside. One of the most popular recipes features sesame seeds, black beans, and cinnamon. Songpyeon is considered very significant because of the meaning in it’s shape. It is like a full moon before you fold it, but then after it resembles the shape of a half-moon. Korean legends say that it symbolizes Silla and Baekje, the two greatest rival kingdoms of ancient Korea. The full moon is Baekje and the half-moon is Silla. The prophecy of the Songpyeon came true when Silla Defeated Baekje. The half-moon was considered a sign of a bright future or victory ever since.

Lots of Koreans these days take Chuseok lightly. I hope Koreans will realize the proper significance of this Korean holiday and follow the proper rituals in the future.