Chuseok (Hangawi) Traditions!

Chuseok (Hangawi) Traditions!

 Chuseok is one of the most important holidays in Korea! Curious to find out what Korean people do on Chuseok? See below! 

1.  Ganggangsullae, (traditional Korean circle dance play)

Ganggangsullae is a Korean ritual dance that dates back over 5000 years. The dance itself was believed to bring a bountiful harvest, however has now developed into a Korean cultural tradition. In ancient times Koreans believed that the sun, moon, and earth were the controllers of the universe. To pay respects to the sun, moon, and earth, the people would dance under the brightest full moon praying for a good harvest. Traditionally this dace is danced by women and children. The group of women and children hold hands, making a circle and start rotating clockwise. They sing the word ganggangsullae and rotate and sing faster and faster. 

2. Juldarigi (Tug-of-War)

During Chusok, traditionally and even now, many games were and are played. A popular game which is enjoyed by many is juldarigi or tug-of-war. In the olden days, people of the village would gather and divide into two teams. The two teams symbolized the a male force and a female force of the natural world. Like ganggangsullae, this game also had a ritualistic background related to the harvest. If the female team won the game, this would mean that the year would bring a rich harvest.

 

3. Ssireum, (Korean wrestling)

What is Chuseok without a bit of wrestling! Ssireum or Korean wrestling is one of the most popular sports enjoyed during Chuseok. This game in Korea dates back to the Goguryeo Dynasty. There are two opponents in a circular ring that hold onto each others belt (satba) while kneeling down in the Using different types of skills, the objective is to knock your opponent down. This has become a sport in Korea and there are competitions throughout the peninsula.

4. Archery

 

 

During the olden days, a game that was also played during the holidays was archery. This sport is enjoyed by Koreans, however, now it is more enjoyed watching professional archers. In the country side, it is still enjoyed as a holiday sport. 

5. Yutnori

A game that is played and enjoyed by many families in modern days is Yutnori. This game has been played in Korea for thousands of years dating back to the three kingdoms period. This game can be played in the home with your family members. It is a traditional board game using four sticks called yut. These sticks are thrown in the air and the way they fall determines how many spaces your token can advance on the board. If you are able to bring all of your tokens to the home space first, you win the game.

 

We hope you have fun celebrating Chuseok this year and our able to try some of these traditions!