CHUSOK (variation: Chuseok) 추석

Chusok, also known as the Korean Thanksgiving, is held on the 15th day of
the 8th lunar month.  Chusok, which means a great day in the middle of August,
occurs during the harvest season.  It is a three-day holiday, which gives Korean
families the opportunity to thank their ancestors, who providing them with rice and
fruits. In the Western Calendar, this celebration is held in the middle of September,
the ninth month of the year.

The celebration, which starts on the night before Chusok, ends on the day
after the holiday. Thus, many Korean families take three days off from work to get
together with family and friends. 

The celebration starts with a family get-together, in which rice cakes, called
"Songphyun" are served. These special rice cakes, made of rice, beans, sesame
seeds, and chestnuts, are a favorite of Koreans.  Then the family pays respect to
ancestors by visiting their tombs and offering them rice and fruits.   In the evening,
children wear their favorite hanbok  (traditional Korean clothing) and dance under
the bright moon in a large circle. They play games and sing songs. Like the
American Thanksgiving, Chusok is the time to celebrate the family and give thanks
for their blessings.

This Harvest Moon Festival is a reminder that families are connected and
bonded in the same fortune. For centuries, this tradition of giving thanks is
followed by each generation, whose children and children’s children pass it on.

What do Koreans celebrate?

How do they celebrate? What do they eat?

What do children wear?

What similar kind of festival is held in your country?