추석 秋夕 Chuseok with ECHO - Full Moon Harvest Holiday 2009

 

 

 

 

 추석 秋夕 Chuseok & Elmer's Birthday with ECHO Family 10-03-2009

 

 

 

 

Chuseok – Full Moon Harvest Holiday

Chuseok is one of Korea’s most largely celebrated holidays. It is a time when families and friends gather to share food and enjoy their time together, giving thanks to their ancestors for the year’s bountiful harvests. This year, Korea’s representative traditional holiday of Chuseok falls on September 14th of the solar calendar. It will last three days, from September 13th to September 15th and marks a prime opportunity for foreign visitors to tour Korea’s cities and experience Korea’s culture while all the bustling crowds are away visiting family relatives. Let us look a little deeper in to what Chuseok represents for Koreans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chuseok (Hangawi)

As one of Korea’s three major holidays, the other two being Seollal (New Year’s Day) and Dano (the 5th of the 5th month of the year according to the lunar calendar), Chuseok is also referred to as Hangawi, which means the very middle of August, or August 15th according to the lunar calendar. As an agrarian society throughout history, Hangawi was the day in which Koreans thanked the ancestors for the year’s harvest and shared their abundance with family and friends. Although the exact origin of Chuseok is unclear, Chuseok can be traced back to a religion related to the moon from ancient times. The sun was considered natural, but the full moon that came once a month to brighten the dark night was seen as a grateful presence. Therefore, festivities took place on the day of the largest full moon, on August 15th of the lunar calendar, and thus became, and is to this day, one of the most important days of celebration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chuseok Customs

On the morning of Chuseok Day, Songpyeon (type of Korean rice cake) and food prepared with the year’s fresh harvest are arranged to give thanks to ancestors through Charye (ancestor memorial service). After Charye, families visit their ancestors’ graves and engage in Beolcho, where weeds around the burial grounds are removed. As the night nears, families and friends enjoy the beautiful view of the full harvest moon and play folk games such as Ganggangsullae (Korean circle dance).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Charye (ancestor memorial services)
On Chuseok morning, family members gather at their homes to hold memorial services in the honor of their ancestors called Charye. Formal Charye services are held twice a year during Seollal (New Year’s Day) and Chuseok. The difference between the two services is that during Seollal the major representative food is white tteok-guk, a rice cake soup, while during Chuseok the major representative food is freshly harvested rice. After the service, the family members sit down together at the table to enjoy some delicious food to symbolize their blessings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Beolcho (removing weeds around the grave) and Seongmyo (visiting ancestral graves)
Visiting ancestral graves during Chuseok is known as ‘Seongmyo’ and during this visit, family members usually cut the weeds that have grown around the graves in the summer season. Taking care of the ancestral graves such as removing weeds is called ‘Beolcho’. This custom is considered a duty and an ｅxpression of devotion. on the weekends, about one month prior to the Chuseok holidays, Korea’s highways become extremely congested with families visiting their ancestral graves to fulfill their ancestral duties.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Ssireum (Korean wrestling)
In the past, the strongest of the villagers gathered to hold wrestling competitions. The sport of wrestling on sand while being surrounded by spectators has become a traditional favorite in Korea. The last wrestler standing was considered the winner and was acknowledged as the villager’s strongest man and took home cotton, rice, or a calf as his prize. Today, Ssireum (Korean wrestling) competitions are still held as a folk competition, a one-on-one game to determine the strongest man in Korea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Ganggangsullae (Korean circle dance)
Mothers and daughters dressed in hanbok (traditional Korean dress) gather around in a circle, holding hands, and sing together. This dance originated from the Joseon Dynasty during the Japanese invasion when the Korean army dressed Korean mothers and daughters in military uniforms and had them circle a mountain peak to make the Japanese think the Korean military was greater in number than it actually was. Through this strategy, the Koreans were eventually able to defeat the Japanese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Chuseokbim (Chuseok dress)
Traditionally on Chuseok, the head of the household would buy new clothes for everyone, including the servants. This custom was known as Chuseokbim. Usually, a traditional hanbok is worn, but nowadays newly purchased clothes are not limited to hanbok. Today, families put on a modern type of hanbok called Chuseokbim and hold Charye services, and afterwards, they enjoy their time together.

 

 

 

 

Chuseok Food

Chuseok is a time for rich plentiful harvests. Therefore there are many fruits and newly harvested rice with which rice, tteok, and drinks are made from.

- Songpyeon Songpyeon is one of the representative snacks of Chuseok. This rice cake is prepared with rice or non-glutinous rice powder that is kneaded into the perfect size, then filled with sesame seeds, beans, red beans, chestnuts, and a host of other nutritious foods. When steaming the songpyeon, the bottom of the rice cakes are layered with pine needles, which fill the rice cakes with their delightful fragrance. on the evening of Chuseok Eve, the entire family gathers together to make songpyeon under the bright moon. There is an old Korean saying that says that the person who makes the most beautiful songpyeon will meet a good-looking spouse. Therefore, the single members of the family try their best to make the nicest looking songpyeon as they laugh out loud in merriment.    →Click here to view how to make Songpyeon

- Alcoholic Beverages Another major element of Chuseok is the alcoholic beverages. This traditional Chuseok drink is made of newly harvested rice and is also known as “The Hundred Year” Drink. People who look forward to this major holiday are also rich in generosity and like to share their generosity over drinks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hangul Day with ECHO Reunion 09-06-2009

 

 

 

 

 

Hangeul (The Korean alphabet)

Hangeul was invented by King Sejong in 1446 with assistance from some scholars to give the people an alphabet that was easy to read and write. Throughout the world, there are some 3,000 spoken languages but roughly only 100 alphabets. Among these, only Hangeul was systematically invented without influence from any other language. There also haven't been any other books published by its creators to explain the scientific principles employed or the background to communicate information in the exact manner in which they had intended. For this reason alone, linguists from around the world hold Hangeul with very high regard. It also explains why UNESCO included Hangeul on its list of Memory of the World Heritage in October 1997.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The influence of the Korean Wave and the strength of the Korean economy have encouraged a growing number of people overseas to learn about Korean culture and study the Korean language. Many universities around the world have recently opened departments of Korean language. In accordance with such measures, the Korean government has been opening branches of Sejong Academy, a Korean language educational center, around the world, and continues to develop, translate, and distribute manuals on basic Hangeul in various languages designed specifically for local cultures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the number of people studying the Korean language continued to grow, it became necessary to introduce an official examination to test Korean language proficiency in order to keep up with rising demand. The Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) is administered by the Korean Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation. In 2005, the Employment Permit System-Korean Language Test targeted for foreign immigrant workers was introduced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This program is provided by KBS World Radio. This section will introduce the alphabet, basic grammar, and some simple ｅxpressions. Just listen and read along with the short conversations, a must-see for all who are planning to come to Korea!

 

 

Let's Learn Korean   • Learning Korean program is provided by KBS World Radio.

Korean language is simple and comprehensive, and is considered one of the most scientific writing systems in the world. However, learning Korean isn't easy especially for English speakers. This section allows learners to practice Korean more easily. You can learn Korean from a beginners level to a more advanced level. Also, you can practice conversations in Korean when it comes to different situations.

Learn Korean – Understanding the Korean Language

1. Vowels and Consonants 2. Double Vowels and Double Consonants 3. Final (consonant or consonant cluster) 4. Pronunciation Practice 5. Honorifics 6. Postpositions 7. Positives and Negatives 8. The Tense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This program consists of 270 Korean ｅxpressions in total which can be used for travelling around Korea. Conversational pieces to introduce Korea's culture and popular travel spots are also included in this program. In addition, this section has a built-in voice listening function and detailed explanations for the Korean ｅxpressions. So it will be a useful program for not only learning Korean conversation but also travelling in Korea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This section takes intermediate learners on a language adventure through Korea’s most well-known tourist destinations. Each unit will take you on a virtual journey to places like the Kimchi Museum, Namdaemun Market, Panmunjeom, and more! Conversations in each unit highlight essential terms used in everyday life, and are ideal for those who wish to take their Korean language skills to the next level! The contents of the Korean Language Adventure have been made by the Paichai Korean Language Institute in cooperation with the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). Please note that Paichai Korean Language Institute takes full responsibility for the Korean text and that some the contents may vary from actual tourist information. We at the KTO ask that you keep in mind that this program was designed solely for the purpose of Korean language study. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=613421

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/CU/CU_EN_8_1_1.jsp

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/CU/CU_EN_8_6_1_1_1.jsp