The Korean holiday of Chuseok - The Full Moon or Harvest
festival is today. It is often
compared to the American Thanksgiving, though I think it is a combination of
Thanksgiving and Memorial Day. The tradition, as I understand it, starts with a
morning ceremony of bowing in honor of the family ancestors. A special table
with special foods (one being moon shaped rice cakes) is set up, and while
wearing hanbok, the family bows in front of the table. After that, the family
travels to their family burial place to clean it up for the year. There is a
family dinner that evening. This
holiday is stretched over three days. The picture above is the traditional ceremonial table setting for this holiday.
I was invite to spend Chuseok holiday with a Korean family, but opted to not attend. I’m not sure exactly why I chose not to go, but I don’t think I would have felt too comfortable with it all. Anyways, I had a good holiday time spent with some western friends.
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