The Meaning and Origin of Chuseok — Korea’s Thanksgiving Day and a Festival of Family and Gratitude
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| During Chuseok, women dressed in traditional hanbok often go out to enjoy the autumn foliage |
🌕 Chuseok — Korea’s Thanksgiving Day: Tradition, Family, and Gratitude
Chuseok, often called the Korean Thanksgiving, is one of South Korea’s most important traditional holidays. Discover the meaning, customs, food, and modern changes behind this cherished autumn festival that celebrates family, harvest, and gratitude.
Introduction: The Heart of Korean Autumn
Hello, dear readers!
Today, I’d like to introduce you to one of Korea’s two major traditional holidays — Chuseok (추석), also known as Hangawi (한가위). It’s celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, which usually falls in September or early October on the solar calendar.
While many countries celebrate holidays based on the solar calendar, Korea uniquely observes both the solar and lunar calendars, a reflection of its deep agricultural heritage and harmony with nature.
Chuseok is a time when families gather, give thanks to their ancestors for the year’s harvest, share delicious food, and celebrate the fullness of life under the autumn moon.
Let’s explore this beautiful tradition together — from its ancient roots to its modern-day transformations.
1. What Is Chuseok? – The Meaning Behind Korea’s Harvest Festival
Chuseok literally means “autumn evening,” symbolizing the full moon that marks the peak of the harvest season. Historically, it’s a festival of gratitude — thanking the ancestors for the year’s harvest and praying for continued prosperity.
Just like Thanksgiving in the United States, Chuseok centers around family reunions, abundant food, and a spirit of appreciation. But while Thanksgiving is a relatively recent holiday, Chuseok has been celebrated for over a thousand years, dating back to Korea’s ancient kingdoms.
2. Family Reunion: The Soul of Chuseok
The Journey Home — A National Migration
Every year during the Chuseok holiday, millions of Koreans travel from cities back to their hometowns (고향, gohyang) to reunite with their families. Highways become congested for hours, train tickets sell out weeks in advance, and airports are crowded with travelers.
This massive movement, often called “the great Chuseok migration”, reflects the deep-rooted value of filial piety and family unity in Korean culture.
Even if the journey is long and tiring, the emotional warmth of being together with parents, grandparents, and relatives makes it all worthwhile.
Ancestral Rites – Honoring the Past
At the heart of Chuseok morning lies a sacred ritual called “Charye (차례)”, a memorial ceremony to honor ancestors. Families prepare special foods, neatly arranged on a table, and bow to express gratitude for their blessings.
This ritual is more than just a religious act — it’s a cultural expression of respect, remembrance, and connection between generations.
Modern families may simplify the ritual today, but the meaning remains unchanged: we are who we are because of those who came before us.
3.Traditional Chuseok Foods – A Feast of Gratitude
No Chuseok celebration is complete without food, and at the center of the table is songpyeon (송편) — half-moon-shaped rice cakes made from freshly harvested rice.
🌙 Songpyeon – The Half-Moon Rice Cake
Songpyeon is made by kneading rice flour, shaping it into small dumplings, and filling them with ingredients like sesame seeds, red beans, or chestnuts. These are then steamed over pine needles, giving the rice cakes a fresh, woody scent.
Each region of Korea makes songpyeon slightly differently — some larger, some colored with mugwort or flower petals, and some beautifully crafted into flower shapes.
Fun Fact:
A traditional saying goes, “If you make beautiful songpyeon, you will have a beautiful daughter.” This playful belief adds joy and meaning to the family activity of making songpyeon together.
🍖 Other Traditional Foods
In addition to songpyeon, families enjoy various dishes symbolizing abundance and harmony, such as:
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Jeon (전): Savory pancakes made with vegetables, meat, or seafood.
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Galbijjim (갈비찜): Braised beef short ribs in a rich soy-based sauce.
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Japchae (잡채): Stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables and beef.
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Fruit and newly harvested rice wine (막걸리 or 동동주) are also shared as part of the feast.
Every dish served during Chuseok carries meaning — from prosperity and fertility to balance and health.
4. Traditional Games and Folk Customs
In ancient Korea, after paying respects and sharing food, people would gather outdoors to play folk games, dance, and celebrate the harvest together.
🕺 Ganggangsullae – The Circle Dance
Perhaps the most famous traditional Chuseok performance is Ganggangsullae (강강술래) — a traditional women’s circle dance performed under the full moon.
Women dressed in hanbok (한복), the traditional Korean costume, join hands, form a circle, and sing together while dancing in rhythm. The dance is not only graceful but also symbolic of community unity and female strength.
🪀 Folk Games
Other traditional games include:
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Ssireum (씨름): Korean-style wrestling, similar to sumo, where two wrestlers try to topple each other.
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Yutnori (윷놀이): A traditional board game played with wooden sticks.
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Archery and tug-of-war were also common in the past, symbolizing teamwork and courage.
Although many of these customs have faded in urban life, they are still performed in cultural festivals across the country to preserve the heritage.
🌍5.Chuseok in Modern Korea
Today’s Chuseok blends ancient tradition with modern lifestyle.
🛫 Changing Trends
While many still return home, an increasing number of young people use the long holiday to travel abroad, enjoy staycations, or simply rest.
The “holiday fatigue” from preparing large meals or dealing with family pressure — often called “Chuseok Syndrome” — has made some families opt for simpler celebrations.
At the same time, companies, public institutions, and community centers now organize Chuseok events for people who cannot visit their hometowns, including multicultural families and foreign residents.
This reflects Korea’s social change toward inclusivity and diversity, even within its most traditional holiday.
6.The Spirit of Giving: Chuseok Gifts
Gift-giving is an important part of Chuseok culture. Traditionally, people exchange baskets of fruit, premium beef, cooking oil sets, or health supplements to express gratitude.
In modern times, you’ll also find luxury cosmetics, gift cards, and eco-friendly products becoming popular choices.
Stores and online platforms release special Chuseok gift sets, and the media even reports on the “Chuseok Price Index” — showing how key products’ prices fluctuate before the holiday.
This tradition of giving symbolizes respect, appreciation, and goodwill among family members, friends, and business partners alike.
7.Reflections on Family, Gratitude, and Change
Chuseok is more than a holiday — it’s a mirror reflecting the values and evolution of Korean society.
While modernization has changed how people celebrate, the essence remains untouched: thankfulness, family, and togetherness.
Under the same full moon that has shone for centuries, Koreans pause to give thanks — not only for the year’s harvest but also for the people who make their lives meaningful.
As younger generations reinterpret traditions with creativity and inclusivity, Chuseok continues to connect the past, present, and future of Korean identity.
Conclusion: The Light of the Full Moon
As the harvest moon rises, its golden light reminds Koreans of abundance, reunion, and love. Whether celebrated through ancient rituals or quiet moments of rest, Chuseok remains a powerful symbol of gratitude and harmony with nature.
If you ever visit Korea during Chuseok, you’ll see empty city streets, families reuniting, and hearts full of warmth — a living testimony to a nation that values both tradition and togetherness.
“May your life be as bright as the Chuseok moon.”
That’s the spirit of Chuseok — and it’s a wish that transcends borders, faiths, and time.
Dear readers, I hope you now have a better understanding of Korea’s Chuseok holiday. I sincerely wish that this story has been meaningful to you, and I look forward to sharing another good story with you next time. Thank you for reading.
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