Korean Thanksgiving in South Korea

Date and meaning

Chuseok falls on the full-moon day of the eighth lunar month, so its Gregorian date changes each year and usually falls in September or October. The name Hangawi is explained as referring to the middle of the eighth lunar month or autumn; the holiday is associated with the harvest and seasonal abundance.[1]

The holiday has a specific place in South Korean public life as well as family tradition. National law includes the day before Chuseok, Chuseok itself and the day after among public holidays. The government’s holiday guidance says these days are excluded from administrative agencies’ working days.[2][3]

Family customs and food

A traditional observance is charye, a family memorial service held on Chuseok morning. Offerings can include newly harvested rice, alcohol and songpyeon; relatives share food after the rite. Families may also visit ancestral graves, clear away weeds and pay their respects, a practice known as seongmyo.[1]

Songpyeon is a half-moon-shaped rice cake made from rice dough and filled with ingredients such as sesame, beans, red beans or chestnuts. It is steamed with pine needles, and making it together is one way families prepare for the holiday. Other foods associated with Chuseok include jeon, japchae, braised short ribs and seasonal fruit.[1]

Folk activities and performances are also part of Chuseok traditions. Ganggangsullae is a circle dance in which women join hands and sing; other traditional entertainment described by Korea Tourism Organization includes shuttlecock play, mask dance and pungmulnori, a performance combining music, dance and ritual.[1]

A public holiday in practice

The holiday applies to government offices and also has implications for private workplaces. Under South Korea’s Labor Standards Act, employers must provide paid holidays prescribed by presidential decree; this requirement applies to workplaces with five or more regular employees. A written agreement with a workers’ representative can allow a holiday to be moved to another working day.[3][4]

Chuseok substitute holidays are possible when the holiday period overlaps a Sunday or another public holiday. The Ministry of Personnel Management says the first following non-holiday is designated as the alternative public holiday in those cases; overlap with a Saturday alone is not listed in its Chuseok rule.[3]

Closures and travel

Government offices and banks close on official public holidays. Some major attractions, department stores and amusement facilities may remain open, while individual businesses set their own schedules; check opening hours before making plans.[6]

Many people travel to reunite with family, including journeys between cities and hometowns. Korea.net reports that train tickets can be difficult to obtain and highways congested during the holiday period, so travelers should plan intercity journeys early and check transport operators’ schedules.[5][6]