Sep 23, 2018
Chuseok 2018
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Today is the Korean holiday Chuseok, celebrating the fall harvest moon. It’s one of the most important holidays on the calendar, an official day off work for the Asian peninsula nation. The days before and after Chuseok are also festive, creating a three-day holiday.
Most Koreans use Chuseok to visit their hometowns and feast with their families, resulting in mass exoduses into the suburbs or country. Once there, families will honor their ancestors by weeding their grave sites, and preparing food for memorial services at home. The official food of Chuseok is songpyeon: rice cakes with subtle nutty flavors, steamed over pine needles. Songpyeon are historically made with that year’s new rice crop, utilizing the harvest. The rice cakes are part of the ancestral offering and the family’s feast.
As depicted in our Doodle, many Koreans celebrate Chuseok in multigenerational groups while wearing traditional hanboks, color-blocked suits and high-waisted dresses. Hanboks are worn during important ceremonies and holidays in Korea and what could be more important than spending a special day with family.
Happy Chuseok, Korea!
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