Chunseok

Chunseok is a major Korean harvest festival celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. It is one of the most significant traditional holidays in Korea, alongside Seollal (Lunar New Year). The name Chunseok literally translates to "Autumn Evening" or "Clear Morning," reflecting the clear, crisp weather typically experienced during this time. The holiday is a time for Koreans to give thanks for the year's harvest and to honor their ancestors.

Families gather together to share a feast and spend time with relatives. A central part of Chunseok celebrations is the preparation and consumption of traditional foods. Songpyeon, a type of rice cake filled with ingredients like sesame seeds, red beans, or chestnuts, is a particularly iconic food associated with the holiday. Another custom is charye, a memorial rite performed for ancestors. During charye, families set out a table laden with freshly harvested fruits, vegetables, and the prepared foods, offering them to their forebears.

Beyond the family gatherings and food, Chunseok is also a time for traditional games and entertainment. Activities such as ssireum (Korean wrestling), tug-of-war, and various folk games are enjoyed by many. People often visit ancestral gravesites, known as seongmyo, to tidy them up and pay their respects. The holiday is a period of reflection, gratitude, and communal bonding, emphasizing the importance of family ties and ancestral heritage.