Wazzupkorea 
A generous full moon welcome for Chuseok Chuseok is one of the two most important traditional holidays in Korea, along with the lunar New Year, "Seollal." Whether you call it "hangawi," using the indigenous Korean word, or Chuseok, from the Chinese characters "秋夕" meaning "autumn evening," the 15th day of the eighth lunar month is a time for celebrating the harvest, and enjoying the full moon.
During Chuseok, Koreans traditionally gather together as a family to eat special holiday foods and perform ancestral rites called "charye" and "seongmyo" to thank their ancestors for a successful harvest. Families celebrate by cleaning their family grave sites, and bowing as they offer the fruit of the harvest to their ancestors and sharing the abundance of food with friends and relatives.
To celebrate the Chuseok holiday, palaces, museums, and selected venues in downtown Seoul will be open and hosting special events. In order to help you enjoy the upcoming holidays, we have gathered together information on some of the most interesting and important of these events.
Also, check out these blog entries, as some bloggers share their Chuseok memories.
The Beauty of Hanbok
People say that Hanbok -- Korean traditional clothes -- is more comfortable than they thought. How about having the whole family dressed in Hanbok this Chuseok? Hanbok designer Kim Hye-soon shares with the readers on how to wear Hanbok properly.
◆ Women should wear proper undergarments
"The key to the elegant lines of the Hanbok comes from wearing the right underwear. Some wear Western patch coats underneath the skirt, but that only takes away the grace."
Kim stresses that the beauty of Hanbok lies in the underwear. One must wear an undershirt beneath the jacket in order to fully reveal the curving lines. In the old days, one used to wear 7 or 8 different garments beneath the skirt, but nowadays underpants and an underskirt would be fine.
◆ Men should never wear a white T-shirt under the jacket
Some men wear a white shirt under the jacket. But nothing should be seen between the jacket openings. If one must wear something beneath, he should wear one with a low neck line. Dress shoes go with Hanbok, and one should carefully choose the color of socks to match the shoes. Black shoes with white socks is a combination you must avoid at all times. Men do not need to wear an undershirt like women, but they must wear underpants. Kim stresses the importance of "Durumagi," a Korean coat, to compliment the formality and gracefulness of the Hanbok.
◆ Children should wear a larger hanbok
Children's hanbok should be bigger, because they grow out of them so fast. It is a typical trait of hanbok to be wide and loose around the body, so one or two sizes should not be too much of a problem.
The Right Makeup for Your Chuseok Hanbok
When you wear hanbok, you need to make sure that your makeup matches the traditional Korean costume. What is important is to emphasize a clear complexion and use the right blusher. To moisten your skin properly, take preparatory skincare steps before applying makeup base and foundation, and be careful not to put them on too thick. If you have dark circles under the eyes or spots around your chin, you can use highlighter to lighten the skin tone.
When applying blusher, make sure you do it in a U shape around the area that protrudes when you smile. Repeat this lightly several times to create a natural and slightly flushed skintone. If you have dry skin, apply a small amount of powder with a brush on your brow and nose. If you have oily skin, apply powder all over your face lightly by using a puff. As for eye makeup, avoid dark colors. Use pearly pastel colors and apply them lightly. Water-proof mascara is good for the Chuseok holidays, when women often have to work so hard they can hardly find time to adjust their makeup.
If you want a natural makeup and look as young as possible, don't wear lipstick too thick. Moisten your lips with lip balm before putting the lipstick on. Use a lip liner in colors matching your hanbok and apply lipstick with a brush. Finish it with a lip gloss that also matches the color of your hanbok.
A Guide to the Chuseok Ancestral Memorial Service
The ancestral memorial service is the central event of Chuseok, Korea's most important holiday. It's a complex affair, and many Koreans are unsure about the principles for setting out the Chuseok ritual table or the procedure for the service and just follow what others do. Here, the Chosun Ilbo explains the correct procedure in easy-to-follow steps.
◆ How to Set out the Chuseok Ritual Table
Make five rows on the table. In the first row from the folding screen, place songpyon, goblets, spoons and chopsticks. In the second row, place grilled and seasoned meat or fish (jeok) and pan-fried dishes (jeon). In the third row, put soup, in the fourth row, slices of dried meat or fish and seasoned vegetables and in the fifth row, fruit in odd numbers. The principles may vary from region to region or from family to family, but the following seven principles are common. Remember, however, the most important thing is sincerity in preparing the dishes.
Assuming that the ancestral tablet is the north:
1. Red fruit should be put in the east and white fruit in the west.
2. Place jujube, chestnuts, pears and persimmons in that order from the left. You can change the order of pears and persimmons.
3. Put beef jerky on the left, and shikhye (an authentic Korean drink made from fermented rice) on the right.
4. Place kimchi in the east and seasoned and steamed greens in the west.
5. Place meat in the west and fish in the east.
6. Let the fish face east with its tail in the west.
7. Put rice in the west and soup in the east.
◆ Some Baffling Traditions Explained
Cut off the top and the bottom of fruit. An official from the liturgical committee at the SungKyunkwan University explains, "The basic principle is to peel the fruit, but after peeling the fruits, the colors change, so it is recommended to cut off only some parts." Cutting off the top and bottom also makes it easier to pile them up. Soy sauce should be served on the table in case the ancestors feel dishes are insufficiently seasoned.
No kalchi (hairtail), samchi (a kind of mackerel) or kongchi (saury) should be served on the table. In Korea, fish, whose names end with "chi" are considered negative, and they can also smell bad. Nor should peaches appear on the table, since Korean spirits don't like peach trees. Spicy seasonings such as powdered red pepper, garlic and green onions should not be included in the dishes for the Chuseok ritual table. But an official from the National Folk Museum of Korea adds, "The ancestral memorial service aims to honor our ancestors, so it is permissible to put dishes that they enjoyed in their life on the table."
◆ The ceremony
1. Place the paper ancestral tablet on the altar and fumigate the altar with incense. The head of the family, who leads the service, pours liquor into the goblet three times, and bows twice.
2. Everyone bows twice.
3. Pour liquor for each ancestor and put chopsticks over the songpyeon.
4. All should leave the room for a while or lie on their faces after shielding the table by setting up a folding screen in order for the souls of ancestors to eat the food.
5. Remove chopsticks. After everyone bows again, the service is over.
6. Burn the ancestral tablet. Then everyone may eat and praise the ancestors' virtues.
It's Hanbok, but Not as We Know It
Hand-painted with big flowers, the A-line skirt flutters whenever the model takes a step. The model wears a splendid crystal bangle on her arm to add a highlighting touch to the dress. But this is no fashion for summer vacation: it's a traditional Korean costume or hanbok. Designer Kim Hee-soo recently introduced a modernized, sexy version of hanbok at a charity fashion show at the Grand Hyatt Seoul Hotel.
Actress Kwon Min-jung poses in designer Kim Hee-soo’s hanbok fashion show at the Grand Hyatt Seoul Hotel this week.
The designer broke away from the traditional notion that a hanbok somehow represents grace and modesty by infusing Western elements into the traditional Korean garment. Traditional designs of flowers, bird and animals like peacocks, tigers, dragons, peonies and magnolias, were hand-painted by Kim on skirts and jacket sleeves. But the colors and details are anything but traditional. The clothes were dyed in vivid colors like fluorescent pink and green. For jackets, sparkling beads replaced breast-ties, making them look like boleros. The Jokduri, the traditional headpiece for brides, was decorated with crystal like a tiara. One black hanbok painted with a forest of condominiums looked like the black chiffon dresses now in fashion.
The designer says a growing number of young brides buy hanbok to wear at the wedding banquet. "You look cool if you wear hanbok made of summer silk in vivid colors with a crystal bangle and a clutch bag," Kim says. Hanbok made of thin transparent Korean nobang (silk organza) is a good choice for summer. Short-sleeved or shawl-like hanbok jackets also featured in the show. A teardrop accessory is a good match with summer hanbok.
How to Set Out the Chuseok Ritual Table
Many a housewife is confused about how to set up the ritual table for Chuseok or Korean Thanksgiving, and annual practice is of small help when the challenge arises anew.
One familiar seasonal sight is of families squabbling over the exact positioning of fruit and meat while setting out the ritual table in the morning. To make matters worse, there is no single way to do it right, as it varies from region to region, family to family. But some iron principles apply, and here they are:
◆ Direct the ritual table to the north.
◆ Put better food closer to the soul of the dead.
Put rice and soup first. Then, arrange food in the order of quality and price from the perspective of the past. Put more expensive and better food closer to the souls of the ancestors -- that is, the back of the table. So, a ritual table should be set with fruit, the least expensive and valued food, in the front row; seasoned vegetables and fried dishes (jeon) in the next row; and boiled food in the last row. However, in some regions, the positions of fried and boiled dishes are interchanged. When there are too many dishes crammed in a row, you may move some to another row.
◆ Put better food to the right of the soul of the dead.
There are two reasons for putting better food on the right. One is that most people are right-handed and the other is that when we worship our ancestors, we place more senior ancestors on the right. Place meat on the right (west) of the souls of ancestors and fish on the left (east) because meat is more expensive than fish. Put the tail of fish on the right and the head on the left because the tail is the better part to eat.
Among fruit, red ones should be put in the east and white ones in the west. It is also worth remembering to place jujubes, chestnuts, persimmons, and pears in that order from left.
◆ The number of food should be odd.
◆ All food offered on a ritual table should be in odd numbers.
/Newsis
* Food to Avoid
Peppers and garlic cannot be used; thus, kimchi is not offered on a ritual table. (In some regions, white kimchi made without using any peppers or garlic is used.) Among fish, those without scales like mackerel or those whose sound ends with "chi" like myeolchi (anchovy) and galchi (scabbard fish) are not permitted.
It was believed in the past that peach trees had the power to drive evil spirits away, so they are still not planted inside the house and peaches are not used for ancestral rites. But there is no restriction to imported fruit like bananas.
Choosing the Right Wine for Chuseok
Wines are becoming more popular as holiday gifts thanks to their reputation for both mood and health benefits. Reports that French people have far lower cardiovascular death rates than other people in the Western despite their heavy intake of fat such as cheese, butter, red meat and fried potatoes because they drink wine just like water have helped. Wine, especially red wine, contains plenty of polyphenol, which removes low-density lipoprotein cholesterol that tends to accumulate in our blood vessels.
Considering that traditional Korean holiday dishes are high in fat, you may get well benefit from drinking wine during this Chuseok holiday to protect your health. Giving a bottle of wine as gift to acquaintances or relatives will also make you popular. SOPEXA (Société Pour l'Expansion des Ventes des Produits Agricoles et Alimentaires), which has been offering opportunities to consumers to try French wines with a variety of dishes, says Korean food goes well with wine. The Chosun Ilbo has some tips on the best combinations, focusing on French wines.
◆ Bordeaux with Meat
Korean meat dishes including sanjeok (made of beef and vegetables) and bulgogi (marinated grilled beef) seasoned with relatively strong spices like garlic and soy sauce go well with the rich red wines produced in St-Emilion or Pomerol in Bordeaux in southwestern France. Those produced in Macon Villages or Beaujolais Villages in Bourgogne in eastern France are also good. You don’t have to drink red wine with all meat; some white ones, if they taste strong and refreshing, are good too. If you have meat dishes such as galbijjim (steamed short ribs) that are seasoned with strong spices, you may want to choose a red wine with lots of tannin, which will make you feel less heavy after your meal.
◆ White Wines from Alsace with Fish
Korean fish dishes that are prepared for ceremonial purposes are usually steamed or broiled without adding special seasonings, and they go well with white wine. Choose wines whose aroma can hide the fishy smell. White wines from Alsace are good, as they are dry, have plenty of tannin and taste refreshing. Riesling or Muscadet wines are also recommended.
◆ Sparkling Wine with Pan-Fried Food and Seafood
Mixed dishes of vegetables and sliced meat or pan-fried food that contains vegetables, meat and seafood along with light seasonings goes well with fruity white wines or sparkling wine. Sparkling wine, especially Champagne, is good. Plain dishes such as Korean platter with nine delicacies go well with white wines that have mixed and refreshing flavors or sparkling wines such as Sancerre, Pouilly Fume and Vouvray from the Loire in central France.
As for price, French wines are more expensive than those produced in other countries because of their high-end image. The most popular clarets are the most expensive. For those who have little knowledge of wines, French wines are good. For people who like to drink wine, Chilean, Australian, and U.S. wines make a good present. There are also organic wines or very sweet dessert wines. Even experts find it difficult to select the right wine according to different occasions. So don’t be shy to ask staff at the wine shop for advice.
Hanbok Tips for Chuseok
One of the country's biggest traditional holidays is upon us, and with it the question what to wear. Since the Chuseok holiday is fairly short this year from Saturday through Monday, not many may bother to dress in hanbok, traditional Korean costume, because it takes too much effort to wear it right. But Kim Ye-jin, a hanbok expert, says, "It will be a good thing to wear hanbok and reflect on the wisdom of our ancestors in today's harsh times." And it is better still if we have some knowledge about hanbok, like the meaning of its colors.
◆ For Men, Topcoat Is a Must
Men's formal attire is completed by a topcoat or durumagi over the hanbok. It has wide sleeves and openings in the back. When performing the ancestral ceremonies, it is best to wear the complete package.
◆ For Women, Navy Skirt and Pendant
Traditionally, women wore blue skirts for happy occasions and big events. The color has joyous and congratulatory connotations and is therefore just right for Chuseok. For the upper body, wear a blouse called samhoejang-jeogori whose neckband, end band of sleeve, armhole and cloth string called goreum used to tie the upper bodice of hanbok are in different colors from the main body, or banhoejang-jeogori where the neckband, end band of sleeve and goreum only are in different colors from the main body.
In the past, no woman who had not given birth to a boy was allowed to wear a purple goreum. The norigae is a pendant trinket worn by women to show off their wealth and class. How to wear it differed according to seasons, materials and size; middle-class women usually wore fabric, handkerchief and ornamental knives.
◆ For Children, Striped Jacket and Hood
Children wore a five-colored striped jacket until they were six or seven. Each color represents a point of the compass -- blue for east, white for west, red for south, black for north and yellow for the center -- and symbolizes longevity and a healthy life.
Girls wore earflaps or fur hats, and adolescent girls braided their hair and wore red pigtail ribbons until they got married. Boys wore a hood made from a single piece of fabric, and those from wealthy families had them adorned with gold. Even today, on their first birthday and on holidays, babies wear a striped jacket and hood or earflaps.
englishnews@chosun.com / Sep. 12, 2008 10:02 KST
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| Amusement parks open at discount prices during Chuseok
Happy Chuseok! In celebration of the harvest full moon holiday, amusement parks in and near Seoul will be giving special discounts from Sept. 21 to 23.
Everland
Samsung Everland will launch its “Everland Hangawi Folk Festival” at Carnival Square from Sept. 18 to 26, which will feature 14 kinds of Korean folk games like jegi-chagi (shuttlecock) and tuho (arrow throwing).
In honor of the harvest, over 3,000 pumpkins from around the world will be on display, from a giant specimen that weighs over 100 kilograms to rare varieties like millstone pumpkins and golden ball pumpkins. There will also be a display of two 4-meter high pumpkin trees and a three by six meter tunnel made of pumpkins for visitors to explore.
At the Everland zoo, three newborn lions will make an appearance. Twice a day the cubs will appear in Hanbok and children will be allowed to feed them milk. Meanwhile, the Bug Garden will display its collection of some 200 autumn bugs, and give a concert daily until Oct. 17.
There will also be exclusive discounts for expats visiting the amusement park. From Sept. 18 to 30, Everland will offer a discounted admission price of 22,000 won for the main park, and 15,000 won for its water park, Caribbean Bay.
To take advantage of the deal, simply visit the news section of the English Everland website, print out the coupon and fill in the form. A single coupon will cover admission for a group of up to four people. For more information and group reservations, please call John Kim: 02-759-1940~1.
Everland’s English website: http://www.everland.com/MultiLanguage/english/index.html
Special Coupon Page:
( http://www.everland.com/MultiLanguage/english/everland/news/1198337_8424.html)
Lotte World
Lotte World is also going all out with Chuseok events, inviting TV stars from the KBS show ”Misuda” to host a global talent show at the Garden Stage throughout the holiday.
In addition to the talent shows, a 25-member female nongak (farmer music) band will perform a fusion percussion play. Visitors to Lotte’s folk museum will have a chance to play a giant version of yunnori (a traditional board game), along with other folk games. Children can participate in crafting dolls from mulberry paper, making a badge of one of the 12 zodiac animals, or enjoy a pottery class for a small additional fee.
Foreigners will receive a discount of 22,000 won on admission and rides. Teenagers will get in for a mere 18,000 won and children for 17,000 won. Just go to the English website, and click the Chuseok icon on the left to print out the coupon, and then bring the coupon and proof of overseas citizenship to the ticket gate. The discount coupon can also cover one accompanying Korean citizen. For inquiries, please call 02-4921~7
Related website: Lotte World ( http://www.lotteworld.com/Global_eng/Main.asp)
Coupon: http://www.lotteworld.com/Global_eng/popup/20100918_foreigner.html
Seoul Land
The spirit of Chuseok is in full bloom in Seoul Land, too. Folk games like riding a wooden pony, yunnori, paeng-i-chigi (spinning tops), rice-cake making, and tuho will be ready for the whole family to enjoy. Highlights include a performance by the famous tightrope walker Kim Dae-gyeun.
Expats can enjoy the festival and rides for the very reasonable price of 10,000 won. No coupons or forms are required, but visitors need to bring their passport or other proof of non-Korean citizenship to the ticket booth. The discount will run from Sept. 18 to 26.
Website: Seoul Land ( http://eng.seoulland.co.kr/eng/)
The Seoul Dasan Call Center (120) will continue to provide consultation for locals, expats, and tourists throughout the Chuseok Holiday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For inquiries regarding traffic information or for other forms of assistance, please dial 120, and then press 9 for service in English, Chinese, and Japanese.
By Kim Hee-sung
Korea.net Staff Writer Chuseok activities for international students
(Photo: Yonhap News) |
International students attending Inje University in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province enjoying songpyeon, a special rice cake served for the Chuseok holidays.
(Photo: Yonhap News) |
International students pounding steamed rice with a wooden mallet to make traditional Korean rice cakes.
By Cindy Ji-Eon Kim
Korea.net Staff Writer
Festivals and events enliven the Chuseok holidayPosted Sep. 20, 2010
With the three-day Chuseok holiday falling mid-week this year, many people have managed nine-day vacations by taking Sep. 20 and 24th off.
With the extra two days of vacation, this year's Chuseok offers a chance to relax and enjoy a wide variety of special events.
Downtown Seoul will be hosting many special Chuseok events, as will other cities around Korea. Here are some tips for things to do over the holiday:
City Hall's Seoul Plaza and Cheonggyecheon Square will play host to the two largest cultural events in Seoul. Both events will be held on Sep. 22, at 11 a.m. At Seoul Plaza, visitors can enjoy games of tug-of-war and try making gotgam (dried persimmons) and see a demonstration of the ancestral rite performed by families every Chuseok, called "charye." Meanwhile, at Cheonggyecheon Square, people can try 15 popular folk games, including tug-of-war, yunnori (a traditional board game), jegichagi (shuttlecock), and neolttwigi (see-saw).
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| Food specialists demonstrating charye, a traditional ancestral ceremony, at Namsangol Hanok Village (Photo: Yonhap News) |
Museums and palaces will be pulling out all the stops to display the beauty of Korea's court culture. The Seoul History Museum will hold a fashion show based on the enthronement ceremony of King Jeongjo (1752-1800). At Unhyeongung Palace, visitors will be treated to a fashion show of Joseon Dynasty court costume on Sep. 22, followed by a reenactment of the royal wedding ceremony for Queen Min (1851-1895) on Sep. 25.
For a traditional Chuseok experience for the entire family, head to Namsangol Hanok Village, Seoul Zoo, or the Seoul Flea Market, where people can play traditional folk games like tuho (arrow throwing) and yunnori.
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| Children playing yunnori at Namsangol Hanok Village (Photo: Yonhap News) |
Gyeonggi Provincial Museum will hold a folk games event on Sep. 23 at its outdoor playground. Visitors can try their hand at making traditional Korean holiday foods like rice cakes and enjoy ganggangsuwollae (a circle dance) or play traditional folk games. Along with the nearby Nam June Paik Art Center, the museum will be open for the entirety of the Chuseok holiday.
Han River Park will be showcasing Seoul�� musical side with series of concerts, including classical, jazz and a cappella music at 8 p.m. at Yeouido, Gwangnaru and Seonyudo. As always, the river and illuminated bridges will provide a romantic background for couples to enjoy a stroll.
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| Tourists try their hands at "tteongme" (pounding steamed rice to make rice cakes) at the Korean Folk Village, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do. (Photo: Yonhap News) |
For those in a more energetic mood, the Seoul Drum Festival is being held from Sep. 4 to 30 at Seoul Forest. A total of 35 percussion teams from Africa and Europe will take the stage beside Korean groups for a series of dynamic and powerful performances.
Everland, one of Korea's largest amusement parks, will hold a folk culture event from Sep. 18 to 26. The Everland zoo will have a special showing of three lion cubs, while the nearby folk village will hold nong-ak (farmers' music) and traditional martial arts performances. Visitors will also be able to enjoy a reenactment of a traditional wedding ceremony at the village.
For those on the move, Incheon International Airport will set up traditional folk program zone near Gate 27, where visitors can try popular Korean folk games like jegichagi and tuho. The lucky ones who not only try their hand but win a game will be rewarded with songpyeon, half-moon shaped rice cakes, or traditional crafts. The airport will also host traditional music performances and set up a photo booth where visitors can try on traditional Korean clothes.
For more travel information, click here to visit the homepage of the Korea Tourism Organization or call Korea Travel Phone: +82-64-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese, 24 hours)
By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Enjoying Chuseok through songpyeon
(Photo: A girl shows off her taegukgi-patterned songpyeon)
Twenty expats gathered at the Itaewon Global Village Center on September 17 to learn how to make songpyeon, a special rice cake associated with Chuseok, a harvest holiday that falls on September 20 this year.
(Photo: Paul Hussey, head of the Itaewon Global Village Center, explains how to make songpyeon)
The head of the Itaewon Global Village Center, Paul Hussey, translated between English and Korean to explain the instructor's directions for making songpyeon. The participants concentrated hard, diligently writing notes so they wouldn't miss a thing.
Most of the participants were new to life in Korea, and eager to learn about the local culture. "I heard Chusoek is one of the biggest holidays in Korea. I think I learn lots of things about Korea through Chuseok, including making songpyeon," said Clarviel Medina.
(Photo: songpyeon made by participants) |
"We have Thanksgiving Day in Canada, where families and relatives gather and share good food, just like Koreans do on Chuseok," said Clarivel's husband, Tony. "I don't really cook, to be honest, but making songpyeon is so much fun. I would love to make songpyeon every year, if this was Thanksgiving Day food in Canada," he laughed.
(Photo: Tony and Clarivel Medina making songpyeon) |
Kate Adams from Australia, who is currently visiting her daughter here, said, "It says that Koreans celebrate Chuseok with their families. I think I came to Korea at the right time." Her daughter Kylie said, "Thanks to Chuseok, I'm having a wonderful time making songpyeon with my mom."
(Photo: Chuseok cooking class at Yeoksam Global Center) |
Similar classes on traditional Chuseok foods were also held at Yeonnam Global Village Center and Seoul Global Village Center on September 13.
By Jessica Seoyoung Choi
Korea.net Staff Writer |
The 13th Andong International Mask Dance Festival will be held from September 24 to October 3, bringing together mask dancers and entertainers from all over Korea and around the world. One of the largest and most popular festivals in Korea, this two-week event is the premier festival of the season.
