Chuseok: Korean Thanksgiving and the Legacy of Tradition
Chuseok (추석), often called Korean Thanksgiving, is one of Korea’s most cherished holidays. Families gather, honor their ancestors, and share traditional foods under the full harvest moon. Chuseok is a time for giving thanks, sharing meals, and spending precious time with family.
🌕 What Is Chuseok?
Chuseok (pronounced choo-suhk) is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, usually in September or early October. The holiday coincides with the harvest moon, and like many East Asian harvest festivals, it began as a way to honor nature’s abundance and give thanks to ancestors.
Families return to their hometowns during this time, making it one of Korea’s busiest travel periods, to gather together, remember their ancestors through rituals, and enjoy seasonal foods prepared with freshly harvested ingredients.
It is a moment to pause, reflect, and reconnect, not only with family, but with tradition.
🙏 Chuseok Rituals: Honoring the Past
One of the most important elements of Chuseok is Charye (차례), a traditional ancestral memorial ceremony. Early in the morning, families set a beautifully prepared table filled with symbolic foods. These offerings express respect and gratitude to their ancestors, inviting them to “join” in the feast.
Another common practice is Seongmyo (성묘), visiting and cleaning ancestral graves, often located in the mountains or countryside. Families pull weeds, clean headstones, and sometimes enjoy a picnic nearby. These rituals highlight the deep Korean value of filial piety (효, hyo), the respect for one’s parents and ancestors.
However, in recent years, many modern Korean families have chosen to simplify or skip Charye altogether, especially as lifestyles become more urban and fast-paced. Instead, Chuseok has increasingly become a time to simply gather, relax, and enjoy quality time together whether that means cooking a special meal, taking a short trip, or just spending the holiday with loved ones.
🍽️ Traditional Foods of Chuseok
Like any great holiday, Chuseok is filled with food and every dish carries meaning.
Here are some must-try Chuseok dishes:
- Songpyeon (송편) – Small, crescent-shaped rice cakes filled with sesame seeds, sweet red bean paste, or chestnut. Families often gather the night before Chuesoek to make them together, a bonding tradition across generations. Legend says that the prettier your songpyeon, the prettier your future children!
- Jeon (전) – Korean-style savory pancakes made with vegetables, fish, or meat, dipped in egg batter and pan-fried. Think of it as Korea’s version of fritters — simple, comforting, and addictive.
- Galbijjim (갈비찜) – Braised beef short ribs cooked until melt-in-your-mouth tender, served in a sweet and savory soy-based sauce with vegetables.
- Namul (나물) – Lightly seasoned mountain vegetables that bring freshness and symbolic balance to the holiday table.
- Makgeolli (막걸리) – A traditional Korean rice wine often served during harvest festivals and holidays.
Sharing these foods is not only about eating well! It’s about connection, gratitude, and the continuity of family traditions.
👘 Hanbok: Clothing for Chuseok
During Chuseok, many people, especially children, wear hanbok (한복), Korea’s traditional attire. Hanbok is known for its graceful lines, vibrant colors, and the symbolic meanings embedded in its fabrics and patterns.
While modern Koreans don’t wear hanbok daily, it continues to hold significance for formal occasions like weddings, national holidays, and of course, Chuseok.
In recent years, hanbok-inspired accessories such as scrunchies, jewelry, or bags made from traditional fabrics have become popular for being stylish, meaningful, and wearable in everyday life.
🪀 Folk Games and Activities
Chuseok is also a time for play and community bonding. Traditional games and performances bring people together in celebration:
- Ssireum (씨름) – Korean wrestling, often played at festivals.
- Yutnori (윷놀이) – A board game using four wooden sticks instead of dice.
- Ganggangsullae (강강술래) – A circle dance performed by women under the full moon, symbolizing unity and peace.
These folk traditions remind us that Chuseok is not only about reflection — but also joy, laughter, and community spirit.
🛍️ Modern Chuseok Traditions
Today, Chuseok blends the traditional with the modern. Some families still follow every ritual carefully, while others take the time to travel, rest, or even go abroad. Supermarkets sell ready-made Chuseok meal kits, and gift-giving has become a huge part of the holiday from fruit baskets and luxury teas to health supplements and even Spam gift sets (yes, it’s a beloved classic in Korea!).
💝 Experience Korean Tradition with Haruyeon Hawaii
If you’re inspired by the elegance of Korean holidays like Chuseok and want to bring that beauty into your daily life, consider exploring modern accessories rooted in Korean tradition.
At Haruyeon Hawaii, we celebrate Korea’s timeless culture by creating handmade accessories from authentic hanbok fabrics and traditional embroidery, including rare gold-thread designs. From hanbok scrunchies and Korean traditional scrunchies to norigae accessories.
👉 Shop Korean Style Scrunchies
Browse our full collection of Korean-style scrunchies featuring authentic embroidery and traditional patterns.
View Collection →
