LESSON NOTES

Korean Culture Class #1

Chuseok

CONTENTS
1
2
2
3

Introduction
Vocabulary
Sample Sentences
Cultural Insight

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INTRODUCTION
(chuseok) is one of Korea's major holidays. Traditionally this is the holiday that
celebrates a good harvest in Korea. (hangawi) is another name for (chuseok).
(hangawi) means big middle; and this is reflective of the big harvest in the middle of the fall.
As time has passed, however, the celebration of (chuseok) has strayed away from that of
the harvest, and has now become a holiday in which family members gather to spend time
together, by eating, drinking, playing games, and just generally have a good time.

VOCABULARY
Hangul

R omanization

English
a ceremony done on the

charye

morning of to show
respect to and remember the
ancestors

songpyeon

chuseok

soju

makgeolli

Songpeyon, rice cake with

sesame and glutinous rice
Chuseok
Soju, Korean distilled
beverage
makgeolli, Korean rice wine
(undistilled rice wine)
Hangawi (another name for

hangawi

, Chuseok, Korean

gohyang

hometown

jesa

ancestral rites

Thanksgiving day)

SAMPLE SENTENCES

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KOREAN CULTURE CLASS #1 - CHUSEOK

chuseogeneun gajokdeuri modu moyeoseo

uri gajokeun modu hamkke songpyeoneul

songpyeongwa gogijeoneul meokseumnida.

maldeureotsseumnida.

"On Thanksgiving Day, families gather and

"Our family made Songpyeon all together."

eat Songpyeon and pan-fried beef."

.
alkool dosuga nopeun sojuga piryohal ttaeeneun
ttukkeongi ppalgan sojureul jumunhamyeon

.
Maekju-boda soju-ga ssayo.

"Soju is cheaper than beer."

doemnida.

"When you need Soju with a higher

alcohol percentage, you can order one
with a red cap."

,

.

.
makgeolliwa pajeoneun jal reoullinda.

choegeuneneun ssal makgeollippun anira ttalgina

"Makgeoli and Pageon are the best

podo, kiwiro mandeun gwail makgeollido ingiga

combination."

mansseumnida.

"These days, not only rice makgeolli is

popular but also fruit makgeolli made of
strawberry, grape and kiwi."

.
jeo-neun myeongjeol ttae-mada gohyang-e
gamnida.

"I go back to my hometown every holiday

.
"I went to the hometown for the ancestral
ceremony."

season."

.
uri gaogeun chuseoge jesareul jinaemnida.

"My family performs ancestral rites on Chuseok."

CULTURAL INSIGHT
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KOREAN CULTURE CLASS #1 - CHUSEOK

Cooking and eating play a major part in (chuseok). (galbi), (japchae) and
(songpyeon) are commonly eaten during (chuseok). , is half-moon shaped rice
cakes, and this delicious dish used to be unique to the festival in the past, but nowadays,
it's enjoyed year round. While all the other dishes that are made for are only prepared by
mothers in most cases, is something that everyone in the family can enjoy making
together. So the day before , everybody gets together and makes by kneading the
rice dough in round shapes, putting in filling, and folding it in half to form a half-moon shape.
The filling of is often a mixture of sesame powder, bean powder, red-bean powder,
chestnut pieces and cinnamon powder. Once the dough is well steamed and cooled down
again to be served, families sit down and discuss who made the prettiest pieces.
morning, everyone in the family gets up early for the (charye). is a ceremony in
which you show respect and gratitude to your ancestors by giving three rounds of two big
Korean traditional bows, and between the rounds of bows, you serve some liquor to your
ancestors by putting the glass on the table. Although there are lots of different dishes to
prepare for this event, it is becoming simpler as time passes. After , which lasts for about
15-20 minutes, you enjoy the various dishes you had put on the table for breakfast.
Department stores and supermarkets start selling special gift packages for , and the
prices of fruits, meat and fish usually go up very high before , and fall back down after
is over. Most stores are closed the day of , and people usually don't expect the stores to
be open on that day, either. Since almost everybody gathers with their families and most of
them have to travel to other cities, getting a ticket for the train or bus ride to hometown can be
very challenging. The ticket reservation for on the KTX train (the fastest train in Korea that
runs at a high speed of 300km/h) usually starts from two to three months in advance. Those
who haven't bought tickets must line up at bus terminals to buy one. But a lot more buses run
for the holiday ; it's a question of how crowded the highways will be and how long it will
take, rather than if one will ever be able to get a ticket. The day right before and after are
the most crowded days, and it usually takes about twice as long to go back to Seoul from
other cities.

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KOREAN CULTURE CLASS #1 - CHUSEOK