RATE My Chuseok

     You wake with a start. The clock strikes eleven in the morning. Panicking that you had overslept, you hurriedly head towards the kitchen. To go to your uncle’s place, the usual place for the annual family gathering, it is best to go early. Anxious if the delay was your fault, you enter the kitchen, where boiling sounds of oil greet you. There stands your mom, dipping shrimps in yellow egg yolk. “Did you have a good night?” “I thought we were going to uncle’s place.” “We decided to have Chuseok separately this year. Everyone is busy, and besides, Lunar New Year is enough for a family meeting.” You walk over to the couch, where your brother sits slumped watching movies. Together, you watch movies on TV for the holiday.

     How traditional is my Chuseok? On the scale of 1 to 10, I would rate 2. The meaning of Chuseok diminished in a significant scale, becoming more modern and simplified. We no longer have big family meetings, nor go to grieve in the memory of ancestors. Chuseok is almost more like a short vacation or a longer weekend, meaning more ‘red days’ to students like me. Yet, being modern does not mean change in every aspect - even the abridged version of Chuseok keeps the essentials. Though our family no longer holds proper memorial service for the ancestors, we cook Korean fried food and have other traditional food such as songpyeon and sikhye. As our ancestors looked upon to the moon and made their wishes, we also stroll in a park, wishing our wishes upon the big bright moon. The method of celebration changed, which is the reason we cannot call it ‘traditional’, but the spirits remain the same.

     How much leisure does my Chuseok promise? On the scale of 1 to 10, I would rate 6 for me and 4 for the society. The overall burden on Chuseok is definitely lessened, but work has increased in other ways. As the focus of Chuseok became leisure instead of strict rules, more people use it as the opportunity to relax and spend time away from their jobs. Yet some people have to work for them. For instance, this Chuseok I wanted to have ramen, so we went out to have it. I was surprised to find so many restaurants and stores open despite the fact that it was still a holiday. Most of my friends told me they had to go to hagwons (also known as private academy), so it meant teachers could not rest, either. I remembered that dad also was working for the first two days of the holiday. Chuseok may be exciting, but I realized that to some people, especially those who work in Daechi and the airport, Chuseok did not promise any vacation.

     Night comes, and I roam around the park which has been my playground in my youth. Remembering the spots I used to run around, I feel nostalgic. The full moon shines over me and our family wishes good luck to everyone, and to have another happy year. Realizing that soon the holiday will end, I feel mixed emotions. Though my style of Chuseok may not apply to everyone, I believe the true value of Chuseok is valid to all – to unify and pay gratitude to everything we take for granted.