The autumn equinox falls on Thursday, Sept. 22, this year. In the traditional Korean calendar, it's called Chubun (추분, 秋分), literally "autumn, unit of time." It's exactly half way between the day with the most amount of daylight, in mid-June, the summer solstice, and the day with the least amount of daylight, in mid-December, the winter solstice. Seoul will have 12 hours and nine minutes of daylight on Chubun this year, and the sun will set at 6:29 p.m.
Chubun is the 16th of 24 solar terms throughout the year and falls in mid-autumn, half way between Baengno (백로, 白露), literally "White Dew," on Sept. 7, and Hallo (한로, 寒露), literally "Cold Dew," on Oct. 8.
After Chubun, nights become gradually longer and you can feel the advance of autumn. Humidity drops noticeably and the insects dig holes in the ground and vanish from sight.
In traditional farming communities, this was the season to harvest crops, such as sesame leaves and sweet potatoes, and pick cotton and chilies.
At the royal Joseon court, Chubun was the day designated for the noinseongje ceremony (노인성제, 老人星祭), when the king would pray for the longevity of all the people.
A number of popular beliefs are associated with the weather on Chubun. Dry wind is regarded as indicators of a good harvest, while clear weather is seen as a sign of poor crop yields.
For people today, Chubun is the perfect time to be reminded of the changing of the seasons. The autumn foliage is changing from green to red-and-orange all across the Korean Peninsula, and seasonal food is particularly delicious at this time of year.
The English-language website of the Korea National Park Service has plenty of information to plan your getaway if you want to go hiking.
http://english.knps.or.kr/
Also, the Korean-language website for the Namsangol Hanok Village in Seoul has more information about traditional Korea's seasonal holidays.
https://www.hanokmaeul.or.kr/
As we approach the Chubun autumn equinox this Thursday, be sure to get out there and enjoy the autumn, for winter will soon be upon us.
This article was made possible through cooperation with the Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture and the National Folk Museum of Korea.
By Gregory C. Eaves
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photo: Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture
gceaves@korea.kr
Chubun is the 16th of 24 solar terms throughout the year and falls in mid-autumn, half way between Baengno (백로, 白露), literally "White Dew," on Sept. 7, and Hallo (한로, 寒露), literally "Cold Dew," on Oct. 8.
After Chubun, nights become gradually longer and you can feel the advance of autumn. Humidity drops noticeably and the insects dig holes in the ground and vanish from sight.
In traditional farming communities, this was the season to harvest crops, such as sesame leaves and sweet potatoes, and pick cotton and chilies.
The autumn equinox of Chubun falls on Sept. 22 this year. Vegetables and crops harvested in autumn are dried in the sun after Chubun, the start of autumn.
At the royal Joseon court, Chubun was the day designated for the noinseongje ceremony (노인성제, 老人星祭), when the king would pray for the longevity of all the people.
A number of popular beliefs are associated with the weather on Chubun. Dry wind is regarded as indicators of a good harvest, while clear weather is seen as a sign of poor crop yields.
For people today, Chubun is the perfect time to be reminded of the changing of the seasons. The autumn foliage is changing from green to red-and-orange all across the Korean Peninsula, and seasonal food is particularly delicious at this time of year.
The English-language website of the Korea National Park Service has plenty of information to plan your getaway if you want to go hiking.
http://english.knps.or.kr/
Also, the Korean-language website for the Namsangol Hanok Village in Seoul has more information about traditional Korea's seasonal holidays.
https://www.hanokmaeul.or.kr/
As we approach the Chubun autumn equinox this Thursday, be sure to get out there and enjoy the autumn, for winter will soon be upon us.
This article was made possible through cooperation with the Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture and the National Folk Museum of Korea.
By Gregory C. Eaves
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photo: Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture
gceaves@korea.kr
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