Chuseok

Chuseok is one of Korea's representative holidays, celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Historically, when grains and fruits ripened in autumn, people held ancestral rites to express gratitude and shared food with their families. The customs of making songpyeon (rice cakes), visiting ancestral graves, and gathering with relatives have been passed down through generations. Songpyeon, in particular, is a representative Chuseok dish made with newly harvested rice and various ingredients. While the way people celebrate Chuseok has changed with the times, the meaning of gathering with family to welcome the abundant autumn and wish each other well seems to have endured. Learning about the origin of this holiday, which I didn't know much about before, makes Chuseok feel a bit more meaningful.