On Korean Thanksgiving

This past Saturday was the holiday that is the Korean equivalent of what we know in the U.S. as Thanksgiving. It is called, pronounced in English phonetics, Chew-Sawn. For one it meant that I had a long weekend, for which I give many thanks. From what I understand, Chew-Sawn is a more public-gathering celebration, though that does not exclude families enjoying traditional Chew-Sawn dishes at home, in thanksgiving-paralleled abundance. On this day I went to a big festival thing at “The Village,” which is open most of the year but has featured on this day more music, activities and food.

A big part of the whole ordeal is tradition, and I love that about it.

One element is playing traditional Korean games. Here you see a game that is similar to ring toss, only you try to throw those long darts into the holes on that structure for points. And don’t step over the line, of course! You can see that boy faithfully adhering to that rule.

Here you see a couple of mechanisms that add up to a game in which you use that stick and move with it to keep the metal mini-hula-hoop thing rolling. I’m not sure if there’s a game you can play with it, or stunts to be performed, but there were a lot of areas in which the clanging of those things was rampant. I love the idea that this man is passing on the game to another young generation.

Here you see a giant swing that you stood on in order to swing! There was a gigantic line of kids eager to take their turn on the swing. It was funny, because this boy riding it here, while not making any audible sounds to indicate so, was visibly scared, but I’m sure deep down he knew it was completely worth the wait.

Another tradition. Throughout everywhere we went on this day, many children (mostly about age ten and under) were wearing traditional Korean garb. You can see that in a few of these pictures. I only saw a few adults wearing this kind of thing. One of the people I was with told me that the kids LOVE wearing that kind of outfit…it’s the ultimate game of dress-up, but it of course goes deeper than that- perhaps in a way these children do not fully comprehend, yet.

I was jealous of these kids and, when it presented itself, seized the opportunity to join in on the fun. For what is about 80 cents in the U.S., I got to try on this traditional Korean outfit and had some pictures taken. I felt like a king. I could wear clothes like that more often. Ladies, don’t you want to be my Queen? Yesnoyesno? Yes.

Rice and Rice-cake related treats are a big part of Korean cuisine, especially concerning dessert. Here, kids and adults alike were welcome to take a few swinging bashes at that mass of soon-to-be rice cake, as was the traditional pre-machines way of preparing it. I could not resist putting here two pictures of the kids I witnessed; the second girl was so cute in that she could barely lift the hammer.

What you see prepared here is a very specifically arranged feast which is created in honor of someone when they pass away. The foods selected and even the order and manner in which they are arranged on the table corresponds to a very specific tradition. Certain foods pointing to the north and south poles, etc.

Finally, what you see here is a Time Capsule. It was created, stored and sealed in 1994, which was the sixth-hundredth anniversary year of Seoul’s being named the capital city of Korea. The capsule contains 300 objects representative of life in Korea, new and old, up to that point in history. The Time Capsule will be opened in the year 2394, four hundred years after it was initially sealed, which will then be the 1,000th anniversary of Seoul’s being the capital. Such a sight isn’t much to see at surface value. But the idea that specifically selected items and artifacts (the specifics of which are kept secret) meant to represent Korean life are locked in there, and will be for a few hundred years, creates a huge presence of mystery and curiosity to anyone who walks up to it. I testify to that. Engraved around the top surface around the edjes [sic] are words of well wishes from Mayors that were of other capital cities in 1994- France, India, China, etc. This undertaking was championed by Seoul’s 1994 mayor, and I think that in many ways it is a truly selfless endeavor, to create something that in most ways will only have its true payoff long after its creators have passed away. But let’s not kid ourselves- that mayor’s name is on a huge preface inscription at the display’s entrance, and his legeacy is tied to it- he is obviously going down in history.