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Chuseok (also celebrated as Hangawi) is Korea's major autumn harvest festival, observed over three days on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month under the full harvest moon. Dating back to the ancient agrarian rituals of the Silla Kingdom (Gabae), Chuseok is an essential family homecoming celebrating agricultural abundance, ancestral veneration, and communal harmony.
On Chuseok morning, families dress in elegant Hanbok to perform Charye (차례), a solemn ancestral ritual offering thanks for the harvest. The ceremonial table features newly harvested rice (sinssal), autumn fruits arranged by cardinal rules, and freshly steamed half-moon songpyeon. Later, families travel to mountain burial mounds for Seongmyo and Beolcho, trimming weeds from ancestral graves in deep filial devotion.
The signature culinary emblem of Chuseok is Songpyeon (송편). Crafted from fresh non-glutinous rice flour and filled with sesame seeds, chestnuts, or sweet red beans, the cakes are shaped like half-moons and steamed over fresh pine needles (solnip). The half-moon represents the potential to grow into a full moon, symbolizing family prosperity. Families accompany songpyeon with assorted Jeon fritters, nourishing taro soup (Toranguk), and chilled sweet Sikhye.
Under the harvest moonlight, women join hands in the UNESCO-recognized Ganggangsullae circle dance, singing ancient folk verses. In arenas nationwide, strongmen contest Ssireum wrestling tournaments to claim the prestigious title of Cheonha Jangsa. In Seoul, historic royal palaces like Gyeongbokgung open their gates free of charge, hosting tightrope walking, martial arts demonstrations, and festive folk concerts.
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Chuseok (추석), also known as Hangawi (한가위, 'the great middle of autumn'), is Korea's premier harvest festival celebrated over three days on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month under the brightest harvest moon of the year. Families gather to express gratitude for the autumn bounty, honor ancestors, and share seasonal delicacies.
On the morning of Chuseok, families dressed in Hanbok gather at the eldest descendant's home to perform Charye (차례). A ceremonial table is set with freshly harvested rice (sinssal), fresh songpyeon, grilled fish, and seasonal fruits arranged according to strict directional principles (such as Hongdongbaekseo—red fruits east, white fruits west).
Songpyeon (송편) are half-moon-shaped rice cakes made from freshly milled non-glutinous rice dough, filled with toasted sesame seeds, sweetened chestnut puree, or sweet red beans, and steamed over a bed of fresh pine needles (solnip). The pine needles impart a pine fragrance and natural preservation. The crescent shape symbolizes growth, future abundance, and completeness.
Prior to and during Chuseok, family members travel to ancestral burial mounds to perform Beolcho (벌초, meticulously trimming wild summer grasses from grave mounds) and Seongmyo (성묘, offering deep ceremonial bows, rice wine, and freshly prepared food at the tomb).
Ganggangsullae (강강술래) is a seasonal folk dance inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Under the full harvest moon, women in vibrant Hanbok link hands in expanding and contracting circles, singing folk melodies celebrating harvest fertility, communal unity, and female solidarity.
Ssireum (씨름) is ancient Korean folk wrestling contested inside a circular sandpit. Wrestlers wear red and blue fabric sashes (satba) around their waist and thigh. The annual Chuseok Ssireum Championship crowns the 'Cheonha Jangsa' (Lord of the Heavens), with the champion historically awarded an ox.
Gwi-seong-gil (귀성길) refers to the nationwide migration where over 30 million South Koreans travel from Seoul and major urban centers to their provincial ancestral hometowns via the Gyeongbu Expressway, KTX high-speed trains, and intercity buses.
Families feast on Jeon (pan-fried savory fritters made with zucchini, kimchi, fish, and beef), Toranguk (savory beef and taro soup rich in vitamins), Japchae (stir-fried sweet potato glass noodles with vegetables), and sweet fermented Sikhye rice punch.
During Chuseok, Seoul's royal palaces (Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung) host royal guard changing ceremonies, traditional Samulnori percussion concerts, tightrope walking (Jultagi), and offer free admission to all visitors wearing Hanbok.
Chuseok is a statutory three-day public holiday consisting of the day before Chuseok, Chuseok Day itself, and the day after. If any of these days coincide with a weekend or another public holiday, an official substitute holiday is mandated by law.