Celebrating Chuseok like a Local in South Korea

Chuseok

Chuseok is one of South Korea’ largest holidays and it’s their version of Thanksgiving Day. This is one of the biggest and most important holidays in Korea because it represents family unity.

Family members from near and far come together to share food and stories, once reunited they give thanks to their ancestors. Many Koreans visit their hometowns outside of Seoul which leave the busy city practically empty during these few days.

This holiday gives people the opportunity to experience traditional food and travel around Korea.

Traditionally Koreans wear a Hanbok the traditional Korean custom, when visiting their siblings, wish upon the full moon for family welfare and happiness while playing Korean traditional folk games.

The first son from each family are given the huge responsibility for getting everything ready. From the preparation of the table for their ancestors which consist to from east to west, order of the food and beverages has to be well respected. 

After the ancestral ritual is over, the whole family gathers together for a feast. The family is free to enjoy games and conversations.

Korean usually eat a lot of diverse food during Chuseok, most of them are Song-Pyun, a korean rice cake. Jeon, Korean traditional pancake and Korean pears.

What can you do during Chuseok?

The top 3 things to do are:

1) Visit a Museum or Palace 

2) Go Hiking

3) Visit the Amusement Park

1) During Chuseok many of the museums and Palaces in South Korea are open and free! Some of the museums that are free include the National Folk Museum, National Museum of Korea, and Seoul Museum of History. You can also visit the famous Gyeongbokgung Palace and try a traditional Hanbok (Korean Traditional Clothes) while taking a stroll in the palace. During Chuseok these traditional Korean Heritage sites hold large festivals and events for its citizen. You will see traditional performances, have a chance to try some Korean snacks and experience one of the biggest holidays in Korea.



2) Hiking is a very popular hobby for Koreans, and for a good reason. They are relatively easy to access (you can reach most of them by bus or subway), it is readily available (Seoul has many mountains to chose from) and lastly its free! Pack some water and chose your mountain of chose to have a fun and active morning hike. Its recommended to go in the morning to catch the cool morning weather and to avoid the harsh afternoon sun.



3) If you want a high energy experience, check out one of Korea's largest theme parks, both Everland and Lotte World are open! Theme parks are usually packed full of people and waiting times are long but during Chuseok the lines are shorter and foreigners get a huge discount! Make sure to plan for a long day and get the most out of your trip to one of Korea's amusement parks!