Today is Chuseok in Korea. The Harvest Moon Festival, or Chuseok (meaning ‘Autumn Eve’), is one of Korea’s most cherished holidays. It takes place on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, which means it usually takes place in September. Though the dates may be similar in some years, it is not an Autumn Equinox festival. The festival is usually a three-day public holiday. If the dates fall over a weekend, an extra day may be taken on the following Monday.
According to legend, Chuseok originated as a result of a weaving competition held between two princesses in the Silla dynasty. The goal was to see which of their teams could weave the most cloth. The fierce competition lasted for a month, ending on the 15th day of the 8th month on the lunar calendar during the full moon. As punishment, the losing team had to prepare a bountiful feast for the victors.
The Harvest Moon Festival is the busiest travel day in Korea with over half the Korean population traveling. Most people visit family to prepare food, honor their ancestors, and cherish relatives both living and deceased.
One of the main Harvest Moon Festival traditions is the food preparation, especially of songpyun; a traditional Korean rice cake made with pine needles. In Korean, Song means ‘pine tree’ and Pyun means ‘rice cake’.
Oddly for a festival that takes place on a full moon, the traditional shape of a songpyun is a half moon. This is said to reflect the natural optimism of Koreans – a full moon can’t get any fuller, but a half moon shows there is room for improvement.
Overheard…
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Tomorrow is the anniversary of the premier performance of Porgy and Bess by the amazing George Gershwin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7-Qa92Rzbk
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