Chuseok’s History

To most international residents, it is a welcome break from the daily teaching grind, but for many Korean people past and present, Chuseok (falling on September 16 this year) is one of the most important cultural and traditional holidays of the year.

Known traditionally as Hangawi (한가위), marking the Lunar Calendar’s “great middle of Autumn”, Chuseok is a three-day holiday celebrating the full moon harvest and a long-standing cultural tradition rooted in ancient Korean history.

The origins of Chuseok have been traced all the way back to the Three Kingdoms Period; a time when Korea was unrecognizable from today’s fast paced, high-rise metropolitan nation. While there are various accounts as to how Chuseok came about, many believe that it originated from gabae (가배), a month-long weaving contest between two teams of women during the reign of Silla’s Third King, Yuri. The 15th day of the eighth month marked the end of the weaving competition, and the team who had woven the most cloth would be hailed as the winners and treated to a great feast of food and alcohol by their opponents.

Others accounts claim that Silla’s historic victory over the Baekje Kingdom and the celebratory festivities, including weaving, martial arts, archery, and feasting, first gave rise to Chuseok. Experts have also speculated that the holiday may have roots in ancient shamanistic celebrations of the harvest moon, during which offerings of food and drink were given to honor and respect ancestors and deities.

To this day, acts of familial worship, believed to date back thousands of years, are still among the most important customs of Chuseok. In the days leading up to Chuseok, families travel en masse to visit ancestral graves (seongmyo) and, as an act of respect and devotion to their forbearers, clear any weeds away from the area (referred to as beolcho).

On the morning of Chuseok, a memorial service (charye) is held, during which family members honor and give thanks to their ancestors for a good harvest. These deceased family members watch over their living descendants as they prepare a special meal. Different food dishes are strategically placed on the table, with rice and soup at the north, rice cakes and drinks to the east, fruits and vegetables to the south and meat dishes to the west and in the middle. In modern-day Korea, it is not just a chance to feast and honor predecessors, but it also serves as a rare opportunity to reunite extended family as they enjoy spending time together.

Though a traditional Chuseok meal differs significantly from a standard Western Thanksgiving dinner, there are staple dishes that always have a place at the table, including (but not limited to) japchae (sweet potato noodles), bulgogi (marinated beef), vegetable side dishes and fruits.

Songpyeon in particular (colorful, half-moon shaped rice cakes stuffed with honey, nuts, chestnuts and other fillings) are worth a mention for their important symbolic significance to many Korean people. The name songpyeon translates as “pine tree” in Korean, in reference to the cooking method, whereby rice cakes are steamed over pine needles for an aromatic fragrance and texture. There is also significance behind the half-moon shape, which has been associated with the Silla Kingdom’s victory over Baekje and has since come to symbolize victory and the sign of a successful future.

As with many other important holidays, feasting goes hand-in-hand with festivities and Chuseok is no exception. Ssireum, or Korean wrestling, has roots stretching back 5,000 years and is a key part of the celebrations. Two male contestants must wrestle each other in a ring, with the aim of knocking their opponent to the floor. The first person whose upper body touches the ground loses, while the winner is traditionally rewarded with a bull and some rice for their efforts.

Later in the night under a full harvest moon, the ganggangsullae dance takes place. Women wearing traditional Korean hanbok join hands and sing while moving around in a wide circle. Some believe that this dance dates back to the Joseon dynasty, originally as a “scare tactic” used by the Korean army to defeat their opponents. By dressing the woman of the village in military uniform and having them circle the mountains, they created an illusion that the military was larger than it actually was. According to legend, the ploy worked and led to many successful victories.

These days, Chuseok is a somewhat different affair, but the essence of the holiday is still upheld by many; on September 16th, cities will empty out and traffic will come to a stand-still. Families brave the highways and drive across the country to pay respect to their ancestors and spend quality time with their loved ones. They are easily spotted as they bear gift packs containing Spam® and other highly valued items that baffle the average waygook.

Despite Korea’s whirlwind transformation in the last century, many of the historic customs of Chuseok are still followed by the people of Korea, as part of a desire to preserve their nation’s rich cultural heritage.