By Honorary Reporter Andra Michaela Pena from Romania

Photos & illustrations = Korea.net, Andra Michaela Pena

Sharing is caring, something Koreans know well since the concept is deeply ingrained in the country's culture and history.  

Chuseok, Korea's version of Thanksgiving, is one of many occasions to celebrate the Korean spirit of love and caring for one another. The holiday this year is from Sept. 20-22, thus this was a good time for me to write about it.

The occasion is more of a family celebration, but if friends or coworkers are spending the holiday alone, people often deliver to them delicious dishes that they prepare for the holiday. Furthermore, when staff return to work after the three-day period, they also offer food to coworkers.

Chuseok is a time of sharing but another prominent time for sharing awaits in November: kimjang (kimchi making). Families usually prepare kimchi once a year, mostly just before fall turns to winter. So just imagine making a whole year's supply of kimchi with family and using a lot of Korean cabbage. What does this have to do with sharing?

After kimjang concludes, the custom is to offer the homemade kimchi to friends and neighbors. This practice goes back a long time. Korea is now one of the world's most technologically advanced countries but decades ago, its people used to live in small villages and farming communities. Because many of these villages were hard to access, commerce was stifled as traders or visitors were pretty rare. As a result, community spirit and sharing were key to survival.

No matter how little people had, sharing meals was a virtue. This is partly why traditional Korean dining tables are small and portable. Thanks to the table designs, welcoming a few extra guests for dinner was easy. And when more people came, they could set up more of these tables to create places without difficulty. Even today, these foldable tables are common as they are easier to store.

Due to the country's industrialization, the village system has greatly declined but the tradition of sharing remains. Koreans still like to share food or items with relatives, coworkers or friends. On important events such as weddings, they share food and gifts, offering tteok (sweet rice cakes) to coworkers and neighbors. Many other examples attest to the Korean spirit of sharing.

Chuseok is a great occasion to observe Korean sharing at its best. The more you learn about Korea, the more you realize that sharing is a national trait found everywhere in Korean life. And this is yet another reason to love the Land of the Morning Calm. 

kalhong617@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.