Chuseok

Chuseok is a traditional South Korean holiday. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month and is adjacent to the New Year Seollal and Dano Festival is one of the most important traditional festivals in South Korea. The name means Chuseok autumn evening. Often the feast Hangawi ( " great middle " ) is called.

The name comes from the fact that the festival is held on a full moon night in the middle of the Chinese year. In South Korea, the Gregorian calendar is used while officially, to calculate holidays but the Chinese calendar is used, which is aligned according to the lunar cycle. It so happens that Chuseok is always celebrated on the full moon.

The significance after Chuseok is the first South Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving. For this reason, Chuseok Festival will be served in the house of the head of the family, large quantities of a variety of dishes, which are eaten by the newly arrived relatives during the festival for. Most important food is songpyeon ( 송편 ), a green rice cake with sesame filling and pine aroma.

The festival is (57 BC to 936 AD) committed at least since the early days of the Silla Dynasty, where it originally arose from a month-long web competition. The team that had woven into Hangawi more clothes, was the winner and was hosted by the losing team with a feast.

During the festival, not only the honoring of higher social standing surviving family members and ancestors is operated ( 차례 /茶 礼) but performed all sorts of games in hilarious atmosphere. In many families, many songs are sung and to drink a lot of alcohol. An important for the children and young people part of the festival is the festival money they receive when they pay tribute to the older members of the family honor.

That one hits the head of the family, for most residents of Seoul that they leave the city on Chuseok and travel to the home of the parents, the grandparents or into the house of the eldest brother. Since South Korea is quite the go these days, is an integral part of traffic chaos in which, for a distance that usually takes 4 hours, a good 12 to 14 hours car ride can be scheduled. Also the Dodge on country roads or the shutdown in early morning does not bring relief, as many others pursue the same strategy. In 2010, the traffic situation by the heaviest rainfall in September was exacerbated since weather records began.

Even for those who stay at home and expect the relatives, Chuseok is a tough hard, because after all they have to prepare all the food, which will be presented to relatives and ancestors. Increasingly popular is therefore the Chuseok party service that brings the traditional dishes for consideration into the house. Then all that remains is the work of decoration and of serving. The family members contribute to Chuseok festive version of the traditional Korean costume.

Dates

Chuseok and the day before and after are in South Korea National Holidays. In the following years the Chuseok evening is on the following days:

Revised Romanization of Korean McCune–Reischauer Weaving
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