Chuseok and Mid-Autumn Festival both fall on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar.
Chuseok is also known as the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving and is a huge holiday observed by the Koreans. Mid-Autumn Festival, on the other hand, is not as big a thing as Chuseok in Singapore, but the festival is well-known here thanks to seasonal mooncakes.
Origins
Chuseok
There have been many versions of the origin of Chuseok, such as a month-long weaving competition between two teams with a feast given as a reward to the team who wove the most.
The widely known origin is one where families gathered on the day of a full harvest moon to give thanks to their ancestors for the plentiful harvest.
Mid-Autumn Festival
Similarly, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time where families gathered to give thanks to the gods for a good harvest.
One of the most famous tales of Mid-Autumn Festival is inevitably the one where Chang-e drank the immortality elixir and ascended to the moon, the nearest place to Earth on heaven.
Traditional Customs
Chuseok
On this 3-day long holiday, Koreans go back to their hometown, which can cause extremely bad traffic jams.
The usual tradition is to bring gifts to their parents’ home and take time to bow before them to wish them longevity and healthy life.
This is why you see so many well-packaged gift sets in the supermarket nearing Chuseok. As times continue to change, there has been an increase in the range of gift sets – from Spam gift sets to even daily necessities like shampoo.
The first son of each Korean household will usually help to set and prepare a table for ancestral worship ceremony.
Mid-Autumn Festival
While such practice is slowly fading away, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, people usually gather to eat mooncakes and drink tea while appreciating the moon. Children also make and light lanterns.
Food Eaten
During Chuseok
Songpyeon
A type of Korean rice cake, usually with stuffed with sweetened sesame seeds, beans or even chestnuts. They are usually steamed on a bed of pine needles. Songpyeon comes in a variety of colours, such as white, yellow, or green.
Jeon (Pancakes)
Not just limited to kimchi pancakes, there are a variety of pancakes such as zucchini, mushroom and even meat pancakes.
During Mid-Autumn Festival
Mooncakes
Of course, when it comes to the Mid-Autumn Festival, the first thing that comes to mind is mooncake. From traditional ones like lotus paste filled mooncakes to newer ones such as lava mooncakes and even bubble tea mooncakes.
A Time For Family Reunion
No matter where you are or if you’re going to be celebrating Chuseok or Mid-Autumn Festival, take this chance to get together with your family and celebrate life over traditional snacks.
Happy Chuseok and Mid-Autumn Festival from the MiddleClass team!
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