Chuseok: Korean Thanksgiving

Chuseok is one of Korea’s most celebrated and festive holidays of the entire year. Also known as the Korean Thanksgiving, when the full harvest moon is up in September, the hectic work life is put to pause as many Koreans return back to their hometowns to spend time with their loved ones.

Cultural food and family bonding is a huge part of Chuseok. One of the most common foods you will see is a special type of rice cake known as 송편 (songpyeon). Family members will gather together to finely ground new rice and knead it into a pliable dough. Then, the dough is filled with all sorts of ingredients, such as sesame seeds, honey, chestnuts, and red beans, before being steamed over layers of pine needles. Another commonly made food during this time are different types of Korean pancakes, known as 전 (jeon). With varying flavors and textures from green onions to fish, this is a delicacy that one can not miss out on.

Another Chuseok tradition is gift-giving. Koreans will go all out to show their gratitude and appreciation to not only their relatives but friends and coworkers. It is not unusual to see high-quality sets of beef, assorted fruit baskets, and gift sets of almost anything one can think of being handed around.

Finally, traditional games and performances are something that can not be left out of Chuseok. From 강강술래 (ganggangsullae), an ancient Korean folk dance, to 씨름 (ssireum), a traditional wrestling sport, there are many things people look forward to participating in and seeing during this time of year.