Google doodle celebrates the Chuseok, a three-day harvest festival treasured in Korea

The Doodle for today honours Chuseok, a three-day harvest festival that is treasured in Korea. It occurs during the harvest moon, which is the year’s biggest full moon. The holiday is also known as Hangawi, which on the lunar calendar denotes the midpoint of October, earning this day the nickname “mid-autumn festival.”

Many families start their Chuseok celebrations with a memorial service called charye. People gather in their homes to express thanks and honour to their ancestors through words, thoughts, and a variety of foods. Usually served with it is songpyeon, a rice cake in the shape of a half-moon that is steamed over pine needles and filled with seeds, nuts, or beans. Visits to ancestors’ graves, or seongmyo, are another family-centered tradition. A few days prior to the holiday, many people clean up the graves and pay their respects to the deceased so that the visit can focus on doing so.

Chuseok is celebrated with feasts, fun games, and gifts. Among the popular sports and games include the circle dancing game Ganggangsullae, the Korean wrestling style ssireum, and the tug-of-war game juldarigi, which uses thick ropes made of rice straw. Older family members are historically given gifts, but more lately, other relatives and friends have traded food, wine, oil, or cosmetics to express their appreciation.

Happy Chuseok! Chuseog Jal Bonaeseyo! 추석 잘 보내세요!