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Who's Your Daddy?
Joined: 30 May 2010
Location: Victoria, Canada.
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 Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 5:21 pm Post subject: Chuseok: You ain't missing anything |
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When I was new in Korea I was bored during the Chuseok holiday thinking; all the Koreans are having fun, and they didn't invite me. Boo hoo!
Well now I'm married (to a Korean) and I attend. It's boring. It goes like this:
1. Drive to the inlaws.
2. Eat lunch.
3. Watch TV.
4. Go for a walk.
5. Eat fruit.
6. Watch TV.
7. Play with in-law's baby.
8. Eat dinner.
9. Watch TV.
10. Sleep on the floor.
Day 2 repeat day 1. Then drive home.
My brother-in-law drove 6 hours, and on Day 1 basically slept for 3 hours and woke up for dinner. Day 2 he'll leave after lunch and drive 6 hours home.
==
Basically you aren't missing anything. Before being married I went to Jeju for Chuseok. Much more fun.
Oh, and there's no "party" at all.
The food it very good, but it's pretty boring. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Sounds like Christmas without the presents (and way less depressing than my Chuseok was). |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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Well, I'm in the same situation as the OP being married to a Korean and I do agree that it seems just a succession of meals, fruit and TV.......but that's how a Korean would feel if they were embedded in a western family for Christmas.....except Christmas has the nice addition of gift-giving and lots of cool nephew's toys to play with!!
With Chuseok there's the rather more boring tradition of just giving cash.
We don't get the 'specialness' of Chuseok because we didn't grow up with it. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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| eamo wrote: |
| We don't get the 'specialness' of Chuseok because we didn't grow up with it. |
It's a day off in Korea. Is it that hard to understand the specialness of it? |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| eamo wrote: |
| We don't get the 'specialness' of Chuseok because we didn't grow up with it. |
It's a day off in Korea. Is it that hard to understand the specialness of it? |
Well, it's a day off for the men!!
Lots of women (and men who have to drive a car full of kids all over the country) look forward to Chuseok and Sollal with dread every year because it's basically 3 days of cooking and cleaning for them. |
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Landros
Joined: 19 Oct 2007
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| Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 6:30 pm Post subject: point of holiday these days |
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| the only special thing about Chu Seok is to see people you haven't seen. Friends from your home town and relatives. that is the point of it today. |
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Privateer
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Location: Easy Street.
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| Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| Sounds like Christmas without the presents (and way less depressing than my Chuseok was). |
Also without the decorations, carols, cards, stockings, special TV, Father Christmas (Santa), desserts, mulled wine, and atmosphere. Chuseok is boring. A lot of effort for very little pay-off, like many supposed-to-be fun things in Korea. |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 7:36 pm Post subject: |
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| It's some time off. Other than that it seems to involve spending money and traveling to see people you'd rather avoid. If you are single you have to listen to many, many miserable people trapped in loveless sham marriages tell you to get married. |
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hapkido1996
Joined: 05 Jul 2011
Location: Anyang, Gyeong-gi
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| Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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It's just like xmas or New Year's: It only works if you actually like and enjoy being with your family. Otherwise it's a thumb-twiddling marathon, at best. I have a TV and can go hiking, buy fruit and good food right down the street.  |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 10:00 pm Post subject: Re: Chuseok: You ain't missing anything |
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| Who's Your Daddy? wrote: |
When I was new in Korea I was bored during the Chuseok holiday thinking; all the Koreans are having fun, and they didn't invite me. Boo hoo!
Well now I'm married (to a Korean) and I attend. It's boring. It goes like this:
1. Drive to the inlaws.
2. Eat lunch.
3. Watch TV.
4. Go for a walk.
5. Eat fruit.
6. Watch TV.
7. Play with in-law's baby.
8. Eat dinner.
9. Watch TV.
10. Sleep on the floor.
Day 2 repeat day 1. Then drive home.
My brother-in-law drove 6 hours, and on Day 1 basically slept for 3 hours and woke up for dinner. Day 2 he'll leave after lunch and drive 6 hours home.
==
Basically you aren't missing anything. Before being married I went to Jeju for Chuseok. Much more fun.
Oh, and there's no "party" at all.
The food it very good, but it's pretty boring. |
Well, it doesn't sound as fun as Christmas to me. I love pumpkin pie, and some people eat turkey for Christmas, and there is the whole Christmas tree. Koreans seem excited about Chuseok, and there is this rice soup that Korean kids love. People do give foreigners the spam sets and to their employees in many cases. I can't really relate to how excited Koreans feel about the holiday since I'm not Korean. It just doesn't seem very festive. It's for honoring their ancestors. It's not about spreading joy and love. You can't really compare it to Christmas. |
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metalhead
Joined: 18 May 2010
Location: Toilet
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| Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 10:03 pm Post subject: |
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| There's no way in seven hells you can compare Chuseok to Xmas, except for the blatant marketing of the horrid gift sets. There aren't even any decorations for crying out loud! |
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hsaeoa
Joined: 13 Jan 2010
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 10:10 pm Post subject: |
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| 1 of the things I dislike about this holiday is that you MUST do everything this way. Cook this food. Put the food on the table this way. Go to this relatives house. Bow this way. There seems to be very little room for doing something a little different. I know in America turkey is the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner, but most ethnic groups put their own spin on the holiday. When you talk to Koreans about it they seem to feel its less of a holiday and more of a duty. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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| hsaeoa wrote: |
| 1 of the things I dislike about this holiday is that you MUST do everything this way. Cook this food. Put the food on the table this way. Go to this relatives house. Bow this way. There seems to be very little room for doing something a little different. I know in America turkey is the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner, but most ethnic groups put their own spin on the holiday. When you talk to Koreans about it they seem to feel its less of a holiday and more of a duty. |
It's a big part of Korean culture. Comparing Chuseok to Thanksgiving probably isn't the most ideal example, but it's the best available for westerners to understand. Seollal and Chuseok are essentially duties for Korean families to honor their ancestors (up to a few generations). It's only the men and kids that have fun during this time. Kids get money and men get to drink with their old school buddies.
I have also noticed a lot of kyopos (the ones born in America) do not really care much for this ancestor worship. Especially if their parents don't live in Korea. So if a K-woman was lucky enough to marry one of these kyopo guys, it's almost a godsend for her. She can tell her parents she is going 'overseas' to see his parents and is free from her cooking obligations.
Maybe that's why so many young Koreans have embraced partying with their friends on Christmas and western New Years. No obligations and the one day off, so the night before it's an all night drink fest with your friends. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 10:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Although I do predict ancestor worship Korea to go the way of the dodo in a couple of generations. So when the current generations of over 40-somethings croak, Chuseok and Seollal will become truly relaxing holidays, where your only obligation is to hand out money to your younger relatives and make a reservation at some restaurant. |
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orosee
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Location: Hannam-dong, Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 11:01 pm Post subject: |
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All my friends with a Korean wife or g/f use the two big holidays (Chuseok and Seollal) to avoid the in-laws. Nobody ever complained.
So pack your bags and spend a few days in relaxing Thailand or Cambodia, or improve on your PSN scores. |
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