What Is Chuseok? A Simple Guide to Korea’s Harvest Holiday
If you visit Korea in early fall, you may hear the word Chuseok (추석) everywhere. Train tickets sell out, families travel across the country, supermarkets fill with gift sets, and rice cake shops display colorful trays of songpyeon.
Chuseok is often introduced in English as “Korean Thanksgiving.” That comparison is useful, but the two holidays are not exactly the same. Chuseok has its own history, foods, family customs, and traditions rooted in Korean culture.
At its heart, Chuseok is about family, the autumn harvest, sharing food, and remembering ancestors. For travelers and foreigners living in Korea, it is also one of the best times to see a side of Korean culture that is easy to miss during an ordinary week.
In 2026, Chuseok Day falls on Friday, September 25, with the official holiday running from September 24 to September 26.
1. What Is Chuseok and Why Is It Important in Korea?
Chuseok is one of Korea’s most important traditional holidays. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, so its date on the Gregorian calendar changes every year. It usually falls in September or October.
You may also hear Chuseok called Hangawi (한가위), another traditional Korean name for the holiday.
Calling it “Korean Thanksgiving” gives newcomers a quick idea of what the holiday feels like: families reunite, seasonal food is shared, and people celebrate the abundance of the year. Still, Chuseok should not be understood as simply Korea’s version of the North American Thanksgiving holiday.
The exact origin of Chuseok is difficult to reduce to one simple story. Different historical records and traditions are connected with the holiday. It is safer to understand modern Chuseok as a celebration that developed over a long period through Korea’s agricultural culture, harvest customs, community traditions, and practices of honoring ancestors.
Three ideas make Chuseok much easier to understand:
- Family reunion: Many people travel to spend time with parents and relatives.
- Harvest celebration: The holiday is closely connected with autumn, food, and seasonal abundance.
- Remembering ancestors: Some families hold traditional memorial rituals or visit family graves.
One important point for foreign visitors is that not every Korean family celebrates Chuseok in exactly the same way. Some families continue traditional rituals, while others simply have a meal together, travel, or use the holiday as a chance to rest.
2. How Do Koreans Celebrate Chuseok?
Traditionally, Chuseok is a time when family members return to their hometowns or visit their parents. This is one reason transportation becomes unusually busy before and during the holiday.
Family traditions vary, but several customs are commonly associated with Chuseok.
Charye (차례)
Charye is a traditional memorial ritual held in honor of ancestors. A family may prepare rice, fruit, songpyeon, meat, fish, vegetables, and other foods before paying respects together.
Afterward, family members traditionally share the food.
However, visitors should avoid assuming that every Korean household performs charye. Today, some families follow a formal ritual, some simplify it, and others do not hold one at all. Religion, family tradition, and personal preference all make a difference.
Seongmyo (성묘)
Seongmyo means visiting ancestral graves. Some families visit family burial sites before or during Chuseok to pay their respects and tidy the area.
Again, this is a traditional custom rather than something every Korean is expected to do.
Traditional Games and Performances
Chuseok is also associated with traditional folk games and performances.
- Ganggangsullae (강강술래): a traditional circle dance performed while participants hold hands, sing, and move together.
- Ssireum (씨름): traditional Korean wrestling.
- Talchum (탈춤): masked dance and theater combining music, movement, and storytelling.
Travelers do not need a family invitation to experience these traditions. During the holiday, palaces, museums, folk villages, and cultural centers often organize performances and hands-on activities.
3. What Do Koreans Eat During Chuseok?
Food may be the easiest and most enjoyable way for a visitor to experience Chuseok.
Holiday tables vary from family to family, but Chuseok food is usually designed for sharing. Another bonus for travelers who struggle with spicy Korean food is that many traditional Chuseok dishes are mild rather than hot.
Songpyeon (송편)
Songpyeon is the food most closely associated with Chuseok.
These small rice cakes are made from rice flour dough and usually shaped into a small half-moon. The filling varies, but common ingredients include:
- sesame seeds and sugar
- soybeans or other beans
- red beans
- chestnuts
Songpyeon is soft and pleasantly chewy. Depending on the filling, it can taste lightly sweet, nutty, or earthy. It is not spicy.
Traditionally, songpyeon may be steamed over pine needles, giving the rice cakes a subtle pine aroma.
If you have food allergies, do not assume every piece has the same filling. Sesame, soybeans, beans, chestnuts, and other nuts may be used.
Rice cakes can also be very sticky and chewy, so take small bites rather than eating a whole piece at once.
Jeon (전)
Jeon is a broad category of savory pan-fried foods. Meat, fish, seafood, tofu, or vegetables are often lightly coated with flour and egg before being cooked in a pan.
Common holiday varieties include:
- Donggeurangttaeng (동그랑땡): small round meat patties
- Dongtaejeon (동태전): pan-fried pollock slices
- Hobakjeon (호박전): pan-fried zucchini
- Bindaetteok (빈대떡): savory mung bean pancakes
Most holiday jeon tastes savory, rich, and slightly salty rather than spicy.
People with allergies should check for egg, wheat, seafood, and soy.
Japchae (잡채)
Japchae is made with chewy glass noodles, usually prepared from sweet potato starch, and mixed with vegetables, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
The flavor is mildly savory and slightly sweet, with almost no heat.
Japchae may look vegetarian, but many versions contain beef. Vegetarians should ask before ordering.
Galbijjim (갈비찜)
Galbijjim is braised beef or pork ribs cooked slowly until tender.
The classic soy sauce-based version is usually sweet and savory rather than spicy, although spicy versions also exist. If you do not enjoy hot food, check whether the menu specifically says “spicy galbijjim.”
Yakgwa and Sikhye (약과와 식혜)
For something sweet, look for yakgwa (약과), a traditional wheat-based confection fried and coated with a sweet syrup made with ingredients such as honey or rice syrup.
It is sweet, rich, and often slightly chewy or dense.
Sikhye (식혜) is a chilled sweet rice drink with grains of cooked rice floating in it. Its light sweetness makes it especially refreshing after a large holiday meal.
4. How to Order and Eat Chuseok Food as a Foreigner
You do not need to be invited into a Korean family home to try Chuseok food.
During the Chuseok season, you can often find songpyeon, jeon, and other holiday dishes at:
- traditional markets
- tteok shops, or Korean rice cake shops
- department store food halls
- supermarkets
- some Korean restaurants
At a rice cake shop, one of the simplest things you can say is:
“Songpyeon juseyo.” — 송편 주세요.
“Songpyeon, please.”
You can usually point to the type and amount you want if speaking Korean feels difficult.
Vegetarian Travelers Should Ask Before Ordering
A dish that looks meat-free is not always vegetarian in Korea.
Hidden ingredients may include:
- anchovy broth
- fish sauce
- salted shrimp
- beef broth
- egg
A few useful phrases are:
“Gogi eopseoyo?” — 고기 없어요?
“Does this have no meat?”
“Gyelan deureogayo?” — 계란 들어가요?
“Does it contain egg?”
“Chamkkae deureogayo?” — 참깨 들어가요?
“Does it contain sesame?”
If you have a serious allergy, it is much safer to carry a written Korean allergy card explaining exactly what ingredients you cannot eat.
Sharing Food Is Part of the Experience
Chuseok food also reflects an important part of Korean dining culture: many dishes are placed in the middle of the table and shared.
If you are invited to a Korean home, you are not expected to eat something that conflicts with your religion, diet, or allergies. Politely explaining your dietary restrictions in advance is usually the easiest approach.
5. Visiting Korea During Chuseok: What Travelers Should Know
If you are traveling in Korea during Chuseok, a little planning can save you a lot of trouble.
For 2026, remember these dates:
- September 24, 2026: Chuseok holiday begins
- September 25, 2026: Chuseok Day
- September 26, 2026: Chuseok holiday
Book Intercity Transportation Early
Millions of people travel to visit family during major Korean holidays. Train and express bus tickets can sell out quickly.
If you plan to travel between Seoul and cities such as Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Jeonju, or other regional destinations, check ticket release dates as early as possible.
Not Everything Closes
A common misconception among first-time visitors is that all of Korea shuts down for Chuseok.
It does not.
Convenience stores and many businesses in tourist areas may stay open. However, independent restaurants and family-run shops may close on Chuseok Day or for part of the holiday.
Always check opening hours before making a special trip. For local businesses, Korean map services such as Naver Map and KakaoMap often have more current holiday information than international map services.
Check Museum and Attraction Schedules
Chuseok can actually be a great time to experience Korean traditional culture because palaces, museums, and cultural sites may organize special programs.
However, opening schedules vary.
For Chuseok 2026, some major national museums and art museums are expected to close on Chuseok Day, September 25, while operating on other days of the holiday.
Always check the official website of the attraction you plan to visit.
Conclusion
Chuseok is much more than a holiday that can be summarized as “Korean Thanksgiving.”
It is a time connected with family, autumn, food, gratitude, and remembering previous generations.
You do not need to understand every traditional ritual to enjoy Chuseok in Korea. Trying a piece of songpyeon, walking through a traditional market, watching a cultural performance, or visiting a palace during the holiday can all give you a meaningful glimpse into Korean culture.
It is also worth remembering that there is no single “correct” way that modern Koreans celebrate Chuseok.
Some families perform traditional ancestral rituals. Others focus on a family meal. Some people travel, meet friends, or simply enjoy several days away from work.
Understanding both the traditions and the way they continue to change is one of the best ways to understand Chuseok in Korea today.
.jpg)
