Chuseok 2020: Google Doodle celebrates Korean Thanksgiving

Google Doodle celebrates Chuseok (추석, 秋夕), actually “Autumn eve”, otherwise called hangawi (한가위) or Korean Thanksgiving in English, on October 1, 2020.

Chuseok (추석, 秋夕) is a major harvest festival and a three-day holiday in both North and South Korea celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar on the full moon.

As a festival of the good harvest, Koreans visit their tribal ancestral hometowns and share a feast of Korean traditional food, for example, songpyeon (송편; 松餠) and rice wines, for example, sindoju (신도주; 新稻酒). what’s more, dongdongju (동동주; 浮蟻酒). There are two significant traditions identified with Chuseok: Charye (차례; 茶禮, ancestor memorial services at home), and Seongmyo (성묘; 省墓, a family visit to the ancestral graves), which is generally joined by Beolcho (벌초; 伐草, tidying graves, eliminating weeds around them).

As per legend, Chuseok (추석, 秋夕) started because of a weaving competition held between two princesses in the Silla dynasty. The objective was to see which of their groups could weave the most cloth. The fierce competition went on for a month, finishing on the 15th day of the 8th month on the lunar calendar during the full moon. As a discipline, the losing group needed to set up a plentiful feast for the victors. It is believed that archery and martial arts competitions were held as a feature of the celebrations.

During the Harvest Moon Festival, there is an offering ceremony to the family ancestors and visiting family graves. The Harvest Moon Festival is an update that families are associated with and fortified in a similar fortune.

The vast majority visit family to get ready food, honor their ancestors, and appreciate family members both living and deceased.

Numerous researchers additionally trust Chuseok (추석, 秋夕) may begin from old shamanistic celebrations of the harvest moon. New harvests are offered to nearby gods and ancestors, which implies Chuseok may have begun as a love custom. In certain regions, if there is no harvest, love customs are delayed, or in regions with no annual harvest, Chuseok isn’t praised.

In contemporary South Korea, on Chuseok (추석, 秋夕), masses of individuals travel from huge cities to their hometowns to pay respect to the spirits of their ancestors. Chuseok celebrates the bountiful harvest and strives for the next year to be superior to the last.

Charye is one of the ancestral memorial rites celebrated during Chuseok (추석, 秋夕), representing the returning of favors and honoring ancestors and past generations. Seongmyo and Beolcho are additionally done around Chuseok week. One of the significant foods arranged and eaten during the Chuseok holiday is songpyeon (송편; 松餠), a Korean traditional rice cake. During Chuseok (추석, 秋夕), families assemble and eat half-moon-shaped Songpyeon under the full moon, wishing for a brighter future.

The day preceding Chuseok (추석, 秋夕) is a very busy day to travel as individuals leave Seoul to go to their hometowns. On Chuseok itself, most businesses are shut, however, some shopping centers and bigger stores may open.