This is very different from Thanksgiving traditions in the US right? We usually celebrate Thanksgiving by just eating our food. Some families might also pray, while others might share what they are grateful for before eating.
Think of your family, a lot of your family members probably live in different cities or neighborhoods. When Thanksgiving comes, everyone gathers together. It's the same in Korea. Most families live far apart from each other. Chuseok is an opportunity, like Thanksgiving, for families to come together and spend time with each other. I said before that in Korean culture, honoring your ancestors is very important. So why is that? In America, we don't really think about our ancestors. In Korea, the Korean people believe that their ancestors are guiding them and giving them good blessings. Think of it as if your great-great-great-grandparents became ghosts and are watching over you in the afterlife. That's kind of cool to think about, right? Korean people also like to believe that honoring their ancestors is how families maintain strong bonds with each other.
In the past, Korea was an agricultural society, meaning Korea did a lot of farming to survive. Chuseok literally means "autumn evening." It used to be a day when people would give thanks for a good harvest and wish for a good harvest in the next year. Now, Korea doesn't have to worry about not having enough food; however, many traditional foods are still prepared and eaten.
