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The Hanbok used to be worn daily in Korea until the twenty-first century. The materials and colors then used reflected social status, with brighter colors and more expensive materials reserved for royalty and the elite. The hanbok is now worn only during special occasions such as weddings or Chuseok. Stay up to date on all of Korea's best activities, food, entertainment, shopping, fashion, culture, and travel. Cash gifts are arguably the most preferred way of showing a person that you genuinely care in South Korea.
Color-wise, it usually comes in white, pink, green, and brown. Chuseok is an important holiday celebrated in Korea, as it is considered as the Korean Thanksgiving. But Chuseok is actually a celebration of the mid-autumn full moon during which people gather before the harvest to enjoy food, play games, and pray for a bountiful year. In such cases, you may consider buying honey or dried fish products. If you go to the department stores, you may also seek advice from the shop assistants as to the appropriate types of gifts – they are very happy to help. Another popular Korean traditional food that people eat during Chuseok is hangwa.
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People also buy gifts for their family members and close friends. Like many other harvest festivals around the world, it is held around the autumn equinox, i.e. at the very end of summer or in early autumn. Perhaps a downgrade from hanu, but spam is a steady seller among holiday gifts. It will be there in the cupboard when you need it to help you through low times. A spam gift set holds stacks of cans, giving an abundant impression.
Festivals in North Korea have military parades in many of the celebrations. The celebration of Chuseok in North Korea is a time when people have a feast that is prepared on some occasions only. While in South Korea the festivals are celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm and participation. People indulge in games, tourism, and many other things to enjoy their time to the fullest. Many dishes are prepared on Chuseok that include meats, fruits, soups, and banchan. The dishes need to be arranged in the correct row and direction.
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If you are eager to celebrate Chusek the traditional way, grab a seat at the Sossaum stadium. Apart from the live audience, it’s a tradition for the whole family to sit together and watch the fight on TV from their homes. Initially people gifted each other necessities like soaps, condiments, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms and oil.
It’s also customary for Beolcho (벌초) on the day before and Seongmyo (성묘) on the day after. Beolcho refers to the grass-cutting ceremony that takes place on the ancestors grave sites. It involves clearing up debris, weeds, trimming the grass, and tidying up the areas around the deceased. Families take turns bowing to their ancestors at the cleaned grave site, which is referred to as Seongmyo, on the day of Chuseok. There is no specific tradition of bowing on Chuseok, but it is generally considered polite to bow to elders and people in positions of authority. Cultural sites and villages in Korea host special Chuseok events for guests.
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It’s not a surprise that spam would be a go-to item for gifts. This Chuseok food is usually served during family gatherings, even outside the holidays. Traditionally, the purpose of Chuseok was for family members to gather together during the full harvest moon.
An ancestral ceremony called charye is also held, which entails filling a table with harvested rice and fruit to give thanks to ancestors for an abundant harvest. Chuseok is a harvest festival that is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. Since the mid-autumn festival is celebrated in many Asian countries, China is one of the countries having some similar legends too. It is believed in China that the jade rabbit can be seen pounding something on the moon on the night of the mid-autumn festival.
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Liquor drunk on Chuseok is called baekju (백주, 白酒, literally "white wine") and nicknamed sindoju (신도주, 新稻酒, literally "new rice liquor") as it is made of freshly harvested rice. You bow to them and you burn a paper with their name on it at the end. Some families will do things like open the window a bit so that the spirits can visit them, or set up the utensils and foods as to mimic someone eating the food. Fermented pastes, seasoning sauces, coffee, and sesame oil are sure to help your loved ones’ kitchens fully stocked and bountiful.
This traditional Korean rice cake is prepared with rice powder, filled with sesame seed, red beans, other beans, chestnuts, and so on. During Chuseok, it’s normal to visit the ancestral graves and pluck the weeds that have grown around the grave since last time. It’s considered a familial duty and a sign of devotion and often takes place already shortly before the Chuseok holiday itself. Chuseok (추석) is often called “Korean Thanksgiving.” It shares similar traditions to the Thanksgiving holiday in the US.
Because of its decoration and nutrition, Koreans eat hang not only during Chuseok, but also for special events, for instance, weddings, birthday parties, and marriages. Thanksgiving in Korea is a time to celebrate the harvest and give thanks for the year’s bounty. Families and friends gather together to enjoy a feast of traditional Korean dishes, such as kimchi , bibimbap , and bulgogi . Hangwa, liquor, Korean spam gift set, seasonal fruits are also considered great gifts. Chuseok is a harvest festival, so, gifting these items is a smart idea. A modern-time custom taking place during Chuseok is gift-giving.
Ever since Koreans have believed a half-moon shape is an indicator of a bright future or victory. Therefore, during Chuseok, families gather together and eat half-moon-shaped Songpyeon under the full moon, wishing for a brighter future. There's a belief that if a single woman makes a pretty songpyeon, she will find a great husband, and if a pregnant woman makes a pretty songpyeon, she will have a pretty daughter. The hanbok or Choson-ot is the traditional dress that the Korean people wear on special holidays and formal and semi-formal occasions, such as Chuseok, Lunar New Year, and weddings.
People all around the world celebrate Thanksgiving while people in Korea celebrate Chuseok. People meet and greet each other while exchanging gifts for chuseok. When you gift someone something during Chuseok it holds some meaning to it. However, plenty of other gift ideas also exist, and the supermarkets and department stores get filled with all sorts of gift sets applicable for gift giving.
Visiting tourist places and spending time with loved ones is another way to celebrate. Some popular gifts in South Korea are food, clothes, cosmetics, and books. Spam is considered a gift in Korea because it is seen as a luxurious and special item. It is often given to friends and family as a way to show appreciation or as a gesture of goodwill. If you’re planning to gift your loved ones something special then we have some ideas for you! Cash is convenient to give when you don’t have an idea but when it is given it means something.
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Although the gift options may change, it seems the fact that Koreans prefer practical gifts remains unchanged over time. The packaging is very clean and it makes raw meat look very appetizing. One of the signature products is the semi-dried yellow Corvina fish. In addition to that, abalone, seaweed, and anchovies are also given in the seafood gift set. Gifting something that can be used by all the members of the family rather than an individual is always better.
