Chuseok- The Korean Thanksgiving

THE ORIGIN OF CHUSEOK

Chuseok its known as the korean thanksgiving day, it’s origin it can be traced back to the time of agrarian society, Chuseok day it’s also known as Hangawi, on this day it’s common to the full harvest moon to appear in the sky, this gathers families together to give a tribute and thanks to teir ancestors, the womens of each family participate in a ritual called “charye” filling the tables with recent harvested fruit and rice.

This festivity last 3 days, the day before and after chuseok, celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, they also make special dishes and food, some typical dishes are Songpyeon, but in modern times as today it’s common to give gifts to relatives and Friends to show appreciation, respect and gratitude.

TRADITIONAL KOREAN GAMES

When families gather to celebrate, that sure is time to have fun as well and what can be better than playing some traditional games. Different regions in Korea have different variety of traditional games but some of the common ones are Jul Da Ri Gi (tug-of-war) which is widely popular throughout the country and the rest of the world as well. Dak Sa Um (Chicken Fight) as the name suggests is inspired by chicken fights. The game is played with one leg bent and held in the air so it doesn’t touch the ground. The player then attacks the opposite team’s player. To win one must get the opponent's leg to touch the ground first.

Another game is Hwatu (go-stop). It is a very popular card game among Koreans. The game can be played between two to four players. The game is to reach the predetermined number of points. The first one who does calls go or stop, if go is called the game continues with the number of points being increased, if stop is called the caller wins and ends the game.

CHUSEOK'S GIFTS

Here are some favourite gifts in Chuseok Day:

Red Gingseng, as the common supplement product in Korea, Red Ginseng is believed to fortify a person’s immune system and overall health. So it is good to giving away the red gingseng in Chuseok Day, especially to elders. Hanu, having hanu beef on the table during Chuseok celebration shows a family’s financial status. When you visit elders and bring hanu as a gift, you will surely be welcomed by the family. Seasonal Fruit, in Chuseok we will find “Hongok" (a type of red apple) be sold out by the day. During the fall season the Korean sweet-hydrating pears also be more popular. There is also "Geobong" (giant deep-purple grapes) ready to be picked by Korean in celebrating Chuseok Day.

CHUSEOK'S EVENT

Chuseok, or "Korean Thanksgiving Day," is an annual celebration that Koreans honor and value. This celebration is composed of numerous rituals/activities. First, they bow to their ancestors as a way to dignify them. In addition, women of the family fill the table with different cuisines from their newly-harvested rice and fruits; they call this "charye." And most importantly, when they come to visit the cemetery, they pluck the weeds and clean the grave since it is a familial duty and a sign of devotion. This ancestral grave maintenance is also called "Beolcho."

As traditional as it is, Koreans love this feast by heart and are continuously ensuring that this will not die down in the future.

CHUSEOK TRADITIONAL FOOD

As a festival of the great gather, Koreans visit their hereditary main residences and offer a banquet of Korean conventional food, for example; Songpyeon, Hanja: yakgwa, natural products like Asian pear and hallabong, and rice wines, for example, sindoju Hanja. One significant food sources ready and eaten during the Chuseok occasion is songpyeon, a Korean conventional rice cake made with fixings, for example, sesame seeds, dark beans, mung beans, cinnamon, pine nut, pecan, chestnut, jujube, and honey.

Another well-known Korean conventional food that individuals eat during Chuseok is hangwa. It is a general term to classify sweet food sources made with tteok, significant rice cake. It is an imaginative food enlivened with normal tones and finished with designs. Baekju A significant component of Chuseok is cocktails. Alcohol smashed on Chuseok is called baekju in a real sense "white wine") and nicknamed sindoju in the real sense of "new rice alcohol") as it is made of newly collected.

CHUSEOK VOCABULARY

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