By Honorary Reporter Semra Karaisufova from Bulgaria
Photos = iclickart 


Chuseok, one of Korea’s two biggest holidays along with Seollal (Lunar New Year), is also called Hangawi, which literally means "the great middle of the eighth lunar month (or autumn)." According to the lunar calendar, the harvest moon, the largest full moon of the year, appears on the 15th day of the eighth month.

Because Chuseok is a celebration of the harvest and abundance, the holiday period is made joyful through entertainment and folk games such as samulnori (traditional percussion quartet), talchum (mask dance), ganggangsullae (ancient circle dance) and ssireum (traditional wrestling).


The origin of the circular dance ganggangsullae has several stories. One of the most well known says the dance dates back to the Joseon Dynasty era (1392-1910), when soldiers used to dress the young women of a village in military garb and had them circle the mountains to give off the appearance to the enemy that the army was greater in number than it was. Joseon forces are said to have won many victories thanks to this tactic.


Expect nothing less than feast prepared during Chuseok to celebrate a bountiful harvest. One of the most representative foods of the holiday is songpyeon (rice cake). This dessert is prepared with rice powder kneaded into a size a little smaller than a golf ball, and then filled with sesame seeds, beans, red beans, chestnuts or other nutritious ingredients. During the steaming process, the rice cakes are layered with pine needles to add the latter's delightful scent. A time-honored tradition is for the entire family to make songpyeon together on the eve of Chuseok. And an old superstition says someone who makes beautifully shaped rice cakes will meet a good spouse or give birth to a beautiful baby.



chaey0726@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.