Hi guys! In this field note, I will tell you about Chuseok. Chuseok is one of the biggest holidays in Korea where families gather together, honor their ancestors, and enjoy a big meal together. It's similar to what we do in the US right? It's basically Korean Thanksgiving.
Chuseok is a three-day national holiday. The Korean festival of Chuseok is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar when the moon is at its fullest which was Monday, October 6th this year. This festival is a time for families to gather together and show their gratitude to their ancestors. In Korean culture, honoring your ancestors is really important. On Chuseok morning families gather together, wear traditional clothing called hanbok, and perform a formal memorial service. This service is called charye. For this type of service, a table full of food is prepared. The food is from the year's harvest, which includes rice, fruits, meat, and songpyeon (half-moon-shaped rice cakes). After the table is set up, everyone in the family will bow in front of the table as a way to show respect to the family ancestors. Then, after the service, everyone will eat and share the ritual food. This is called eumbok.
