How is Chuseok celebrated in South Korea?

This week is one of the most awaited weeks in South Korea, as the Chuseok holiday has arrived. This is an ancient and traditional festival, traditionally celebrated to celebrate the good harvest, and the tradition says that this is the time to spend with family and loved ones. Also, traditionally, they pay tribute to family members who are not with us anymore.

These holidays take place on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar year, so the date changes every year. However, it is normally around October. This time, most of the Koreans have holidays from their jobs; this year, it is in the middle of the weekend, so the Chuseok holidays have been quite long.

Anyway, nowadays most people use these days to travel. Some of them visit their families in their hometowns or make tourism around the country, so they make all the highways around Seoul congested. If you plan to come to Korea on these dates and move by car, I suggest reconsidering as it could be a painful experience.

However, many Koreans also travel abroad, so the main airports, especially Incheon Airport, are getting very crowded these days. Many Koreans choose to travel to Japan, as it is close and perfect for a trip for a few days with the family. Therefore the flight tickets connecting Korea and Japan could be absurdly expensive these days.

Anyway, Chuseok are days that Koreans use to rest and spend time with family. Happy Chuseok!