Today marks the main day of the three-day harvest of this lunar year, Chuseok. Chuseok’s literal translation is “autumn evening”. It signifies the end of the summer farming season. Traditional Korean culture believes that a good harvest is a blessing from ancestors, so Chuseok is the time to give thanks by visiting and cleaning graves of family members (Beolcho), playing games, and hosting a feast. Some even decide to wear traditional Korean clothing, Hanbok. Dishes like Songpyeon (sweet rice cakes), Jeon (pan fried savory pancakes), and Bulgogi (thinly sliced marinated beef) and more are part of an organized feast for ancestors called a Charye.
Chuseok’s beginnings are not explicitly clear. Some say it originates from gabae, a celebration starting from the kingdom Silla almost 2,000 years ago. During Gabae, weaving competitions were held. The winners were awarded with a feast from the losing team. Chuseok is also believed to be a modern version of shamanstic worship rituals of the harvest moon. If there was no harvest, Chuseok would not be held that year either.
“I eat rice cake soup, and make song pyeon. Making food has always been a special activity that brings my family together. Family is also so integral in our culture, so we do what we can to keep that culture alive,” says Integrated Arts junior Kate Kim.
Chuseok is truly a special celebration and one that needs more visibility. It offers many different aspects of Korean culture: both the traditional and modern customs passed down for generations.
Bug Off!