LJ's 2024 Chuseok Guide

I think that the hardest thing about studying abroad in the fall is not the weather getting colder, nor is it going back to school right after the fun summer. The hardest thing about Studying abroad in the fall is missing the holidays and birthdays. Lots of people in my family have fall and winter birthdays so it’s hard to be away from them but also Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

In South Korea, they do not celebrate Thanksgiving like we do in the States, here they have Chuseok, which is Korean Thanksgiving, it is a three-day holiday that is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. This is a major mid-autumn harvest festival and is a time for families to gather and give thanks to their ancestors. For 2024 Chuseok falls on September 16-18, I have only been here for three weeks and I am unable to go home and celebrate it with my own family so I was worried as to what I would be able to do for the holiday. Luckily Seoul hosts an ample amount of celebrations and cultural events in the city. So here is LJ’s 2024 Chuseok Guide! 

NAMSANGOL HANOK VILLAGE: 

For the first day of Chuseok, I went to Namsangol Hanok Village where they had the Thanksgiving Day festival going on. During the festival, there were lots of events and activities for kids to partake in and there were lots of spots to learn and play traditional Korean games like Pitch-pot, and Jegichagi. After I walked around the Hanok village I came across a foot mask show (baltal). For Korean foot mask shows there is singing and dancing with some comedy involved. What is interesting is that the masks you see in these shows vary based on the region of Korea you are in, so you would have the opportunity to see many variations of this traditional show. 

SEOUL OUTDOOR LIBRARY: 

Since I moved to the city, one of my favorite spots to go and relax in the evening is the Seoul Outdoor Library which is centrally located at Gwanghwamun Square and Cheonggyecheon Stream. This was the perfect way to spend the evening of Chuseok. The outdoor library offers you a relaxing place to sit and read with live music in the bustling city! For Chuseok the library had a special operation where they had an outdoor movie night where they played the film Architecture 101. Next to the outdoor library, there was the K-food festival where they had many food trucks that served all types of traditional K-food. 

SEOUL GUGAK FESTIVAL:  

Music is one of my favorite ways to learn about a new culture. The Seoul Gugak Music Festival was an awesome way to experience traditional Korean music and the history of Korean folk songs as well. This music festival had artists all day playing traditional Korean instruments, along with small stands that sold handmade items and trinkets. 

HANBOK RENTALS: 

For the last day of Chuseok, a few of my friends and I thought that the best way to end the holiday would be to visit the palaces and do a hanbok rental. Right by Gyeongbok Palace there are so many hanbok rental shops that vary in price based on the type of hanbok you wear and what accessories you choose. The hanbok rental place we went to was OhnelHaru Hanbok, their prices ranged from 10,000 Won to 50,000 won (7 USD- 38 USD). They had rental options for two hours and four hours, and they spoke English so it was a very easy and seamless process. My only advice for Hanbok rentals in Korea is to do it on a colder day. When we did the rentals the temperature was around 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and it was so hot that we didn't even make it the whole two hours. 

Overall my Chuseok was very fun and I am so glad that I was able to fill it with lots of cultural events and see more of the city. I was able to find lots of these events on Korean travel social media accounts the morning of Chuseok, so if you are ever in a new city during a holiday, I implore you to look up some holiday festivities to experience a new culture, try new food, or just to meet someone new!