The UP Korea Research Center (UP KRC) and the Department hosted a celebration of chuseok, a Korean festival for family gatherings and thanksgiving, last 18 September at the CSSP Health and Wellness Center. The event, “Hangawi: Korean Mid-Autumn Festival,” gets its name from the alternative term of the holiday typically observed during “the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar on the full moon.”
BA Lingg Plan C – Korean majors and students taking up Korean classes performed practices usually done during the multi-day celebration of chuseok, like the ganggangsullae, a seasonal ritual where people dance in a circle to show gratitude for the bountiful harvest and to wish for the same next year.
Assistant Professorial Fellow Kyung Min Bae, UP KRC director, also gave a talk on the different kinds of food served during the day. She gave some quick background and history of dishes like songpyeon, a crescent moon-shaped rice cake with bean fillings. It is traditionally prepared by families as a snack and also in the hopes of abundant and prosperous days ahead–reflected by the half-moon that can be filled up.
The day ended with a moon-gazing and socialization of the students interested in the Korean culture and its language. Congratulations on a successful event, and thank you to UP Arirang and Department staff for helping with the celebration!
Published by UP Department of Linguistics
