Chuseok

Chuseok (Korean: 추석), originally known as hangawi (한가위 from archaic Korean for "the great middle (of autumn)"(한ᄀᆞᄇᆡ)), is a major harvest festival and a three-day holiday in Korea celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. Like many other harvest festivals around the world, it is held around the autumn equinox.

Chuseok, as well as the days before it and afterwards, are statutory holidays in South Korea. Within East Asia, the timing coincides with that of the Chinese and Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival, as well as the Japanese Tsukimi. The festival is derived historically from the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, which is evident in the similar practices, food, and folklore between the two.

As a celebration of the good harvest, Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and share a feast of Korean traditional food such as songpyeon (송편) and rice wines such as sindoju and dongdongju.

Origins

According to popular belief,Chuseok originates from gabae (hangul:가배 Gabae started during the reign of the third king of the kingdom of Silla (57 BC ??AD 935), when it was a month-long weaving contest between two teams. Come the day of Gabae, the team that had woven more cloth had won and was treated to a feast by the losing team. However, it is also said that Chuseok marks the day Silla won a great victory over the rival kingdom of Baekje. It is believed that weaving competitions, archery competitions, and martial arts demonstrations were held as part of the festivities.