15th day of the eighth lunar month
The Mid-Autumn Festival, which is observed in China, Japan, Vietnam, and other Asian countries, is celebrated in Korea as well, where it is called Chuseok or Hangawi . This fall harvest festival is marked on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month and is a major national holiday in Korea. Like Thanksgiving in the United States, Chuseok finds many people on the move in Korea as they travel to spend the holiday with their families.
Koreans traditionally begin the day with a religious service at home to remember their ancestors. Then they visit the graves of their departed family members and clear away the weeds and grasses around the tombs; this is not only a symbolic act of honoring their ancestors, but also a practical matter, because of the increased chance for grass fires during the typically dry autumn season. Then people go home and enjoy foods traditional to the season. Various rice-based dishes incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables are popular. Other customary games and activities include wrestling for men, a women's circle song and dance called Gang-gang-sullae in the south, and in rural areas, a cow or ox game, in which two men or boys in a cow or ox costume visit each house in the neighborhood and beg for something to eat; if the householder feeds them, they perform a dance. Taking walks in the evening and admiring the moon is also a favorite activity on Chuseok, since the holiday falls on the full moon day of the eighth month.
CONTACTS
Korea National Tourism Organization
1 Executive Dr., Ste. 100
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
800-868-7567 or 201-585-0909; fax: 201-585-9041
www.kntoamerica.com
Holidays, Festivals, and Celebration of the World Dictionary. Copyright © 2010 by Omnigraphics, Inc. All rights reserved.
