Chuseok (추석), also known as Hangawi (한가위), is one of the most important traditional holidays in South Korea. It usually takes place on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, around late September or early October.

Chuseok is a Korean harvest festival similar to Thanksgiving. Families gather to share food, give thanks to ancestors, and celebrate the year’s harvest. The main traditions include returning to hometowns, performing ancestral rites (charye), and enjoying traditional games and food.

• Charye (차례): ancestral memorial service held at home.
• Seongmyo (성묘): visiting family graves and cleaning the tomb area.
• Folk games: such as ganggangsullae (circle dance) and ssireum (Korean wrestling).
• Traditional clothes: people often wear hanbok.

Popular Chuseok dishes include:

• Songpyeon (송편): half-moon-shaped rice cakes filled with sesame or beans.
• Jeon (전): pan-fried foods like fish, meat, or vegetables.
• Makgeolli (막걸리): traditional rice wine.

• Many Koreans travel to their hometowns, so highways, trains, and buses are extremely crowded.
• Major cities like Seoul become quiet; many restaurants close for the holiday.
• Tourist spots such as palaces or museums often offer free admission or special events.

• Chinese New Year
• Thanksgiving in the United States
• Korean culture

• Official Korea Tourism Organization – Chuseok information
• Wikipedia: Chuseok