Happy Thanksgiving - Chuseok (추석)

Hearing me say that in September might sound strange if you're from the United States, but rest assured, I haven't lost my mind. October 2nd marks the start of the Korean Thanksgiving known as Chuseok (추석). Its a three day harvest festival that begins on the fifteenth day of the eight month of the lunar calendar.

Like other fall harvest festivals, it often falls around the Autumn Equinox. The holiday is traditionally celebrated with families gathering in their hometowns. This usually requires many people to travel around the peninsula, so if you thought traveling during the US Thanksgiving was bad you have no idea how bad it is here. Just imagine one-quarter to half of the 49 million people on the roads, trains, buses, and planes going home for a day all while keeping in mind that Korea is only 38,622 square miles (100,140 sq. km).

During Chuseok (추석), families will often tend to their ancestors graves and honor their memories. This is all done while celebrating the family unit. Furthermore, gifts are also exchanged at this time. When I say gifts, I mean gifts. They are something of value and in most circles is it considered rude if you do not provide a gift of subsequent value. This doesn't mean that one needs to take out a loan, but that you should give the most expensive gift you can afford.

I'm sure that many in the west think that this would be a great time to get that new iPod or Xbox, but you'd be wrong. The gifts are usually expensive boxed sets of fruit, oils, meat, or liquor. For example, one might go to a market on a regular day and pick up a few apples for W5,000; however, during Chuseok (추석), the apples are twice as large, better tasting, and individually wrapped. As such their cost may rise to W50,000.

Can you taste the extra W45,000???

Yes you can. It is amazing how good the fruit that is sold during Chuseok (추석) tastes.

The alcohol gift sets are similar to what one would find in the US around Christmas at Costco and Sam's Club. Probably the most interesting gift set I see is those devoted to that fascinating meat product SPAM (스팜). When I first came to Korea, I never understood the fascination with SPAM, but people really love it and there are even store brand versions (Im particularly fond of the Richman Meat with Green Tea).

Music, used with permission: Pioneers and Heading West by Jason Shaw/AudioNautix

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Travel
• QiRanger
• Culture
• Autum
• Chuseok
• Dongtan
• Equinox
• Family
• Festival
• Gifts
• Harvest
• Holidays
• 추석
• South
• Korea

[TrantHenru]

I always thought it was weird that my Korean aunt always cooked with spam, I guess its kind of normal haha.

This has me so ready for the holiday season. Very cool and thanks!

[qiranger]

;-)

You are welcome!

[thechoos]

spam? really, really interesting....hey! have a great long weekend and great information as usual.

[qiranger]

Thanks! You have a great weekend yourself!

[fehquig]

Our Canadian Thanksgiving is next week :)

[qiranger]

Have a good one!

[BubbleDropping]

man, you've got a golden voice! :D

[XxPiscesxAng3lxX]

Wow how interesting. Chuseok is somewhat similar to the day of the dead/Halloween in Mexico. It's also a three day event.

[sombarnharmanrattatt]

스팸을 후라이팬에 지글지글 구워서 밥에 얹어먹으면 천국이 따로 없지요~~

[sunnieleewatson]

How cool! Happy Thanksgiving - From the US! ;)

[provozzang]

thank u for ur awesome informational video. it helped me ALOT on my assignment in mandarin although I am Korean. happy chuseok to you!

[ZarathuPower]

보름달 둥근달 동산위에 떠올라 어둡던 내맘을 대낮같이 비추네.

아! 동산위의 달이 저렇게 곱기만하네..

즐거운 추석 보내세요.  2010년 9월 23일 추석날에

[ZarathuPower]

Also, the day before as the women of the bigger family gathered preparing busily for the food to be taken to the ancestorial graveyard for offering next day, the young children of cousins who haven't met for the whole year spent the night together in excitment, looking foward to having fun together during the trip next. Come to think of it, it was fun time for children and men, but a hard backbreaking time of the year for women.

[ZarathuPower]

Thanks for posting this video. Happy Chuseok to you!

In my childhood in Korea, Chuseok culminated with visiting my acestorial graveyard taking train with my bigger family. The whole trip going on a train and having to walk more than an hour getting there was an awesome experience as a child. We ran into a tomb site where an Yi Dynasty royal family member was buried with elaborate guard stones up on a high hill, stream, and a big cestnut trees where we can sit and take a rest along the way.

[talltalesshortstorie]

this makes me so homesick.. oh, how long to be there this time of a year!!!

[wtfsingapore]

yea~