The Korean Thanksgiving Day, Chuseok
Americans have Thanksgiving Day, Chinese have Mid-Autumn Festival, then what's the day for Koreans to celebrate good harvest? It's Chuseok on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, usually in September in the solar calendar. Since Korea is no longer an agricultural society, Chuseok has become more of a family-gathering day than a harvest-commemorating day. Let's learn what Koreans do on Chuseok these days.
Families gather usually at paternal grandparents' house on the day before Chuseok for preparation. People buy the best quality food, vegetables, and meat because the meals are also for ancestors, too. Not only food but also things used in ancestral ceremony including plates, utensils, and tables must be cleaned and ready. A lot of other things must be taken care of, so all family members participate for the preparation.
Many kinds of food are prepared for Chuseok, but songpyeon is the real signature food. When all family members are gathered, they put on aprons and start making this traditional, half-moon shaped rice cake. The recipe is similar all over Korea. First, take a piece of rice dough and make it look like a small cup. Second, stuff the cup with fillings like black beans, sesame seeds or honey and seal it using fingers. Then, put the raw songpyeons on a plate. Make sure that they are on top of pine needles because the pine needles prevent them from sticking together. Next, steam them for about half an hour. Finally, it is time to enjoy gooey songpyeons. Making songpyeon is a good opportunity to have a family time since it gives time to share their ideas and talk about their lives.
On the morning of Chuseok, Koreans hold Charye, an ancestral rite. Under Confucius thinking, they worship their ancestors. They think the spirits of their dead grandparents and great-grandparents would come back to enjoy food at home. So they slightly open a window and a door so that the spirits can enter. The meals made a day before and fresh fruits are served on the table. Family members bow in front of it thinking that the ancestors are watching them. When the ceremony is over, families share food which their forefathers had already finished eating. Finally, the whole must-do process of Chuseok is over.
Time has passed and many things have changed in Korea. But Koreans still celebrate Chuseok as the biggest holiday. Although people no more wear Hanbok, the traditional clothing, nor play folk games and the ceremony has been more simplified than in the Choseon Dynasty era, they still reunite as a family and respect their ancestors. On the Chuseok holiday, Koreans have a minute to take a rest from their busy life and follow their traditional customs.
To Jisu Song from Hyein Jin 200903450 French
ReplyDelete1. What I like from your writing is your eye-catching hook for the first paragraph. It would easily get attention from non-korean readers.
2. Your main point seems to be that Chuseok is still a valuable holiday in this era.
3. These particular words or lines struck me as powerful :
*words or lines :
Americans have Thanksgiving Day, Chinese have Mid-Autumn Festival, then what's the day for Koreans to celebrate good harvest?
As aforementioned, I like this because it powerfully brings attention of readers.
4. Some things aren't clear to me. These lines or parts could be improved
: Second paragraph
I think it explains how we get prepared for Chuseok. But I also would like to mention that it has to be more specified. If you describe more about what fruits and vegetables we buy and how we cook them for Chuseok, this paragraph would be better.
5. The one change you could make would make the biggest improvement in this piece of writing is :
I like that u clearly devided paragraphs into five parts, and all paragraphs supports its main idea without a problem. However, I would like to suggest you to change the order of third paragraph and fourth paragraph. Since the third one dealt with a particular theme(food), and the fourth one talked about more general subject(Charye-the ceremony : it includes food and custom things). :)
Thanks!
To Jisu Song, From Yun Jeong Lee
ReplyDelete1. ‘Let’s learn what Koreans do on Chuseok these days’ is the thesis statement of this essay. However, this thesis statement does not identify the process.
2. The essay has background information about Chuseok. In the essay, it is stated that Chuseok is the 15th day of the 8th lunar month and that it has become a family-gathering these days.
3. The paragraphs are organized in time order. The first body paragraph started with the ‘day before Chuseok’ and moves on to next paragraphs in time order. The last body paragraph deals with the actual day of Chuseok.
4. The paragraphs are well organized in logical order. The transition from one paragraph to another is very natural and the paragraphs are coherent.
5. All fact and details are relevant and specific:)
6. The conclusion includes the evaluation of Chuseok and well wraps up the essay.
-Yun Jeong Lee
201001709 Jisu Song
ReplyDeleteThe Korean Thanksgiving Day, Chuseok
Americans have Thanksgiving Day, Chinese have Mid-Autumn Festival, then what's the day for Koreans to celebrate good harvest? It's Chuseok, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, which is usually in September in the solar calendar. Since Korea is no longer an agricultural society, Chuseok has become more of a family-gathering day than a harvest-commemorating day. Let's learn what Chuseok is to Koreans these days.
Families gather usually at paternal grandparents' house on the day before Chuseok for preparation. People buy the best quality fruits, vegetables, and meat because the meals are also for ancestors, too. Apples, pears, persimmons, jujubes, and chestnuts must be bought because they should be placed at the front line of the memorial service table. Not only food but also things used in ancestral ceremony including plates, utensils, and tables must be cleaned and ready. A lot of other things must be taken care of, so all family members participate for the preparation.
Many kinds of food are prepared for Chuseok, but songpyeon is the real signature food. When all family members are gathered, they put on aprons and start making this traditional, half-moon shaped rice cake. The recipe is similar all over Korea. First, take a piece of rice dough and make it look like a small cup. Second, stuff the cup with fillings like black beans, sesame seeds or honey and seal it using fingers. Then, put the raw songpyeons on a plate. Make sure that they are on top of pine needles because the pine needles prevent them from sticking together. Next, steam them for about half an hour. Finally, it is time to enjoy gooey songpyeons. Making songpyeon is a good opportunity to have a family time since it gives time to share their ideas and talk about their lives.
On the morning of Chuseok, Koreans hold Charye, an ancestral rite. Under Confucius thinking, they worship their ancestors. They think the spirits of their dead grandparents and great-grandparents would come back to enjoy food at home. So they slightly open a window and a door so that the spirits can enter. The meals made a day before and fresh fruits are served on the table. Family members bow in front of it thinking that the ancestors are watching them. When the ceremony is over, families share food which their forefathers had already finished eating. Finally, the whole must-do process of Chuseok is over.
Time has passed and many things have changed in Korea. But Koreans still celebrate Chuseok as the biggest holiday. Although people no more wear Hanbok, the traditional clothing, nor play folk games like yoot-no-ri and the ceremony has been more simplified than in the Choseon Dynasty period, they still reunite as a family and respect their ancestors. On the Chuseok holiday, Koreans have a minute to take a rest from their busy life and follow their traditional customs.