Chuseok: Happy Thanksgiving!
The harvest is in! The months-long toil of tilling the land, planting seeds, watering, fertilizing, weeding, chasing away the birds and insects and all the while praying for good weather has borne fruit. Summer heat has passed, and the days are bright and sunny and nights cool. It is time to celebrate. With its strong agricultural roots, the Chuseok fall thanksgiving festival is a hallmark holiday for Korea. Though the agricultural population has shrunk to less than 5% of all citizens and most people are separated from the land by one or more generations, Chuseok remains an important milestone in the annual calendar. Furthermore, it is a three-day holiday!
Chuseok is August 15th in the lunar calendar. It falls on the full moon closest to the autumn equinox and in archaic Korea was called han-gawi meaning 'dividing the fall in half.’ Because it is determined by the lunar calendar, its date on the Gregorian calendar varies from mid-September to mid-October.
In 2022, Chuseok falls on 10 September. Every year when the new calendars arrive, one of the first things I check is when Chuseok falls. Ideally, it is at the beginning or end of the week, giving us five consecutive free days (and often I feel the onset of a mysterious illness that keeps me off work for the remaining two days of that week). When it spans a weekend (as in 2022), the following Monday is declared a ‘substitute holiday,’ so it always provides a nice break in early fall.
Chuseok is a time when families get together in their hometowns and remember departed loved ones. Leading up to the holiday, one can see families busy tidying the many graves that dot the countryside hills. On Chuseok day, the extended family gathers at a senior family member’s home to eat, talk and drink. It is truly a time of thanksgiving. Children especially love Chuseok, with all the edible goodies and indulgences from older family members.
There is a less pleasant side to Chuseok, too. The brunt of the preparations traditionally falls on the shoulders of the woman of the house, who in turn must enjoin the work of her daughters-in-law. It is their job to prepare and serve the many labor-intensive delicacies are prepared and attend to the whims of the elderly, uncles, and cousins. Families suffer long drives to their hometowns, which can take double the usual time with crushing traffic jams. Young adults dread Chuseok for the gauntlet of personal questions they must face: "When are you getting married?" "When are you going to have children?" "When will you get a better job?"
IRC has advised Western companies on doing business in and with Korea for four decades. We are often called upon to coach foreign executives on how to navigate local cultural issues. As one of the two most important Korean holidays, foreign business visitors are advised not to encroach on this time. Korea can be a country of subtle distinctions that cultural newcomers might miss; while it is important to respect tradition and culture, the country is also changing rapidly, making it equally important to be attentive and adjust to changes. Chuseok’s significance in the Korean calendar endures, but its celebration has evolved in many ways.
In recent years many Koreans opt to enjoy their Chuseok holiday by travelling abroad. Women’s voices are more considered now, so rather than arduous meal preparation, take-out and home meal replacement options have become commonplace. COVID-19 guidelines were a blessing to many young people as they were ‘forced’ to stay away from large family gatherings, out of concern for the health of their elders! In Korea, new trends catch on quickly. It will be interesting to see what changes emerge this year, in 2022. Will people choose new ways to avoid the ordeal and forge their own path? However it is celebrated, Chuseok remains an important holiday.
Happy Chuseok from all of us at IRC
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