Chuseok Festival in South Korea

Korean culture holds family in high regard and at no time is this more prevalent than during the annual Chuseok Festival. Each September, Koreans head home to their families to celebrate their ancestors and pay homage to their family and it’s a wonderful day to experience if you’re lucky enough to visit during this time.

The day is filled with memorials and traditions that honor those who are gone from this world but not forgotten. In the morning, families gather together to dine on rice and alcohol. Later in the day they head to their ancestral graves to help remove weeds from the stones that grew in the summer season. The purpose is to express devotion and respect to family members no longer here.

Afterwards, many families choose to enjoy a traditional Korean wrestling match known as Ssireum. The goal here is to knock the opponent off his feet first and the last one standing in the competition is named the village’s strongest man.

Once night falls you’ll get to witness the traditional Korean circle dance in which women dressed in hanboks join hands in a circle and sing. The towns come alive with beautiful decorations and clothing on this day and it’s a rich and fascinating site to behold for anyone unfamiliar with Korean customs.