When is Chuseok?
The Harvest Moon Festival, or Chuseok (meaning 'Autumn Eve'), is one of Korea's most cherished holidays. It takes place on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, which means it usually takes place in September. Though the dates may be similar in some years, it is not an Autumn Equinox festival.
The festival is usually a three-day public holiday. If the dates fall over a weekend, an extra day may be taken on the following Monday.
Traditions of Chuseok
According to legend, Chuseok originated as a result of a weaving competition held between two princesses in the Silla dynasty. The goal was to see which of their teams could weave the most cloth. The fierce competition lasted for a month, ending on the 15th day of the 8th month on the lunar calendar during the full moon. As punishment, the losing team had to prepare a bountiful feast for the victors. It is believed that archery and martial arts competitions were held as part of the festivities.
During the Harvest Moon Festival, there is an offering ceremony to the family ancestors and visiting of family graves. The Harvest Moon Festival is a reminder that families are connected and bonded in the same fortune.
Most people visit family to prepare food, honour their ancestors, and cherish relatives both living and deceased.
Pining for Songpyun?
One of the main Harvest Moon Festival traditions is the food preparation, especially of songpyun; a traditional Korean rice cake made with pine needles. The family members use the songpyun as an offering to their ancestors.
We take a deeper look at this most traditional of Korean treats in our blog post - Pining for songpyun.
The Harvest Moon Festival is the busiest travel day in Korea with over half the Korean population travelling.
In 2017, a record number of people - over 2 million - used Seoul's main airport during the Chuseok holidays.
The day before Chuseok is a very busy day to travel as people leave Seoul to go to their hometowns. On Chuseok itself, most businesses are closed, though some shopping malls and larger stores may open.
