That was the nearly universal response from my students this week when asked about their plans for Chuseok. Chuseok is the Korean harvest festival similar to Thanksgiving (though it’s not quite that simple.) Songpyeon (송편) is a variety of the traditional Tteok (떡), a glutinous rice cake. At first I wondered skeptically about the unanimous answer and likened it to many of the stock responses that Korean English learners use, under pressure, to satisfy their teacher’s questions (“I will play PC games”, “I will study”.) Though after giving it more thought I realized, if Chuseok is akin to Thanksgiving, that American students would probably all say, “I will eat Turkey.”
Chuseok is a three-day holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. It falls on September 22nd this year. Koreans typically travel back to their hometowns throughout the country and participate in rituals to honor their ancestors that include formal bowing, traditional meals, and visits to grave sites.
