The Korean Thanksgiving

Chuseok (Chew-Sock) is the Korean Thanksgiving and is the 2nd most important holiday in Korea.  The first is the Lunar New Year. 

Joseph and I spent last Friday asking our students and teachers at our school what exactly does this mean.  Mainly, we get a 4 day holiday which we were told was a long holiday (Florida teachers insert *sigh* here).  So, okay 4 days for a holiday, 2 of them being weekends.  Does that even count?

Anyway...Chuseok is the day families remember their ancestors and celebrate the year's harvest.  One of our students told us that most families travel to their grandparents and all of the women hang out in the kitchen preparing food and talking while the men play board games, card games, talk with each other and eat.  The children play traditional games, sing songs and eat a lot of food in addition to receiving small amounts of money from their elders ("here's a quarter buy something nice"--and in Korea, you can!).



This weekend Joseph and I along with Kate and Amy went to Lotte Department store--think upscale Mall similar to Mall of  Millenia in Orlando or International Square Mall in Tampa.  We went to hang out, see the sights and see the gifts that Korean's give to one another for this Holiday.  Let me tell you...we laughed almost until we cried but you have to admit one thing:  the Korean's give useful gifts.  Each gift set has a practical use and will be used.  All of it.  No throwing out the fruit cake.  These sets are comprised of everything from Spam and Tuna (if you think I'm kidding check the pictures) to ginseng, toothpaste and lotion.  We were asked several times to refrain from taking pictures but we had to take a few.

Enjoy!

Our neighborhood decorated for the Holiday

Never thought I would see a TUNA gift set.  Notice the price? Approximately 20$

Cow hoof?  It's about 100$ and it was very heavy

The 17$ watermelon

Toothpaste, Korean "deodorant," lotion and soap

The biggest shrimp ever for a low price of 200$

SPAM, TUNA and OIL in a gift set

The grocery department in the basement of Lotte Dept. Store

Kiwi's--about 96$

Spam and Tuna

Mushrooms

Just tuna.  Check the price.