Kids Love Thanksgiving: Korea

The next series of posts are going to be about how children around the world celebrate Thanksgiving. In most countries Thanksgiving is most commonly known as a Harvest festival but the spirit behind each is basically the same. Children and their families come together to celebrate and give thanks for their blessings and life.

I will focus on the most popular festivals known around the world finishing with How children in America celebrate Thanksgiving. It is the best known Thanksgiving Festival in the World.

Korean Thanksgiving: Chusok

Chusuk is Korean Thanksgiving where families gather over a huge meal to talk about the good old times and to catch up. It’s also a time to see celebs all dressed up in gorgeous hanboks to spread the Chusuk spirit.

Korean celebrities spreading the Chusuk spirit

It is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Chusuk means a great day in the middle of August but it can happen in September or even October depending on the Chinese calendar. This year it took place on September24 - September 26. It occurs during the harvest season. Korean families take this time to thank their ancestors for providing them with rice and fruits.

Traditional Korean clothing, the hanbok, worn for Chusuk

The celebration starts on the night before Chusuk and ends on the day after the holiday. Korean families take three days off from work to get together with family and friends.

Traditonal Chuseok Food

The celebration starts with a family get-together where rice cakes called "Songphyun" are served.

Like the Chinese with their moon cakes, the Koreans have songpyon (full-moon rice cakes stuffed with sesame, beans, chestnuts, or Chinese dates).

Then the family pays respect to ancestors by visiting their tombs and offering them rice and fruits.

Little doggie all dressed up for chuseok

In the evening, children wear their favorite hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) and dance under the bright moon in a large circle. They play games and sing songs. Like the American Thanksgiving, Chusuk is the time to celebrate the family and give thanks for their blessings.

During Chusok, Korean child love listen to their favorite Korean fairytale while gazing at the moon.

I have found three differentways of spelling Chusuk, Chusuk, Chuseok.

South Korean Kindergarten Pupils Plant Rice Seedlings

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24" x 18"

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