South Korea
Wikimedia CommonsA Korean Chuseok dinner table.
Korea’s Thanksgiving holiday is known as Chuseok. The holiday is also known as Hangawi, which translates to the 15th day of the eighth month, the day that the holiday is celebrated according to the lunar calendar. It’s celebrated on the same day that the Chinese and Vietnamese harvest festivals are.
Chuseok commemorates the first day that the full harvest moon appears, similar to other ancient harvest festivities from around the world. Families come together to welcome the harvest season and to spend some quality time with one another.
Much like American Thanksgiving, there are specific foods that are consumed during Chuseok. One of the most important foods is a rice cake known as songpyeon. The rice cake’s dough is made using finely ground, new rice, and filled with sesame seeds, chestnuts, red beans, or other delights. It’s then molded into a small ball.
Families come together on the night before Chuseok to make songpyeon as a bonding activity. Making the rice cakes together illustrates the importance of family in Korean culture.
Korea’s Thanksgiving holiday also calls for gift-giving between both family and friends. Typical presents range from high-quality steaks and fresh fruit, to gift baskets filled with necessities for the year. Spam is actually one of the most common gifts since it’s incredibly popular in Korea.
