Chuseok: Unique Holiday in Korea

 Chuseok is Korea’s Thanksgiving. On this day, people in Korea visit their hometowns and meet with their relatives. So many people travel that it is called a “national migration.” The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport estimated over 40 million people hit the road during Chuseok last year. However, not everyone heads to their hometown. Now, people celebrate Chuseok in various ways depending on their circumstances. Then, what is the origin of Chuseok? Let’s explore it and how Chuseok has changed over time when compared to the past.

The Origin of Chuseok

 Chuseok is also called “Hangawi,” with “han” meaning big and “gawi” meaning middle. This reflects well that it falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, which is in the middle of the year. One theory about its origin is that “gawi” refers to the game ‘Gabae,’ which was played by women during the Silla Dynasty around July and August. Around this season, women would compete in weaving hemp cloth for fun and assist each other. After finishing, they would enjoy entertainment and share food together. Why did this event have to be in the middle of the year? Because it was the harvest season at that time. Therefore, Chuseok has its origin on the day for enjoying abundant food and coming together as a village community. This is quite different from today, where Chuseok is celebrated within family communities.

Chuseok in the Past

 In the past, Chuseok was more like a village festival where people shared gratitude for the harvest. Unlike now, various regional games and activities were prevalent across the country. Here are a few representative traditional games from different regions: 

Ganggangsullae

A traditional game popular along the coastal areas of South Jeolla Province. Women would hold hands under the full moon, forming a circle, singing, and spinning around. It was designated as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 1996 and listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

Sonoli (Cow Play)

 Two people would disguise themselves as a cow by wearing a straw mat, with one person acting as the head and the other as the tail, and visit houses. This activity was widespread across the country. The host would share food with the cow-disguised people. “Yangju Sonoli Gut,” a shamanism ritual performance wishing for a good harvest, is known to originate from this cow play.

Tug-of-War

 A widely popular game throughout East Asia. In Korea, it symbolized community cohesion and sometimes, if women won, it was believed to bring a good harvest. Notable examples include the Tug-of-War of Gijisi, designated as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, and that of Youngsan in South Gyeongsang Province.

Chuseok Nowadays

 Today, people arrive at their relatives’ homes the day before Chuseok. Early the next morning, families perform Charye (the ancestor-memorial service). The traditional order of the ritual is as follows: Light incense and pour alcohol into a bowl filled with sand and a bundle of straw; bow in front of the ancestral tablets; offer alcohol to the ancestors; read the Chukmun, a document addressing the deities of heaven and earth; place spoons in the rice to invite the ancestors to partake in the offerings; all participants then leave the room and close the door, or darken the room if there is no door; make three coughing sounds before entering the room again to collect the spoons and cover the rice bowls; and finally, clean up the dishes starting with those the farthest from the ancestral tablets. Afterward, participants visit the ancestors’ graves and trim the weeds on and around them, which is known as Seongmyo.

 If you are making food for Chuseok, it’s beneficial to compare the prices of ingredients between large supermarkets and traditional markets. According to a survey conducted by the Seoul Agricultural and Fishery Products Corporation in 2023, the cost of Chuseok ritual food has decreased compared to 2022. Traditional markets saw a 2.4% decrease, and large supermarkets an 8.7% decrease. Since Chuseok dishes are often made in large quantities, comparing prices at different markets to find out where the ingredients are cheaper would be better.

 Meanwhile, some people choose to travel during Chuseok. Last year’s average daily use of Incheon Airport during the Chuseok holiday was 170,000, with an estimated 1.21 million people using the airport over the seven-day period. This data suggests that not everyone spends Chuseok in the traditional way.

True Meaning of Chuseok

Some traditionalists say the memorial rituals should be done with food made by oneself in the traditional way. However, Chuseok holds more meaning than just doing rituals. Looking back at people in the past, they used Chuseok to share their feelings and enjoy activities that they could not do normally due to their busy farming job. This is the genuine meaning of Chuseok, and to remember this would be the true preservation of tradition. It is natural for some traditions to transform over time because people and their perspectives change. Hence, it is important to remember the essential meaning of past traditions and continue them in a way that suits today. This, too, will become part of the Chuseok tradition.