Chuseok - KORUS House

Today's KORUS House English class is an article about Chuseok, one of Korea's biggest traditional holidays. The story provides an overview of Chuseok, a time of of thanksgiving and family reunions for Koreans.

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Every autumn, the nation witnesses an exodus of people leaving Seoul to celebrate the most important holiday of the year, Chuseok. Largely known as the Korean Thanksgiving Day, this year's holiday falls on Sept.14.

Chuseok is not only a time to celebrate the harvest and remember one's ancestors, but it is also a time to remember where one comes from and to share good times with family members and neighbors. Koreans, therefore, prepare a lot of good food to treat their family, neighbors and visiting friends.

The holiday is thought to have originated from the practice of "gabe" during the ancient Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D.935). During gabe, which was on Aug. 15 by the lunar calendar, two teams of court ladies participated in a looming competition, and the losing team would have to throw a celebratory party for the winning team with food, drink, dancing and music.

From this practice, Hangawi, another name for%