Guide to Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving & Mid-Autumn Festival 2026

Chuseok, hangawi, the mid-Autumn festival of Korea, or Korean Thanksgiving, there are many names for this biggest harvest festival of Korea. It is a traditional feast celebrated with family reunions, sharing meals, and honoring ancestors. For more details and special food, follow this complete Chuseok guide with tips to fulfill your autumn trip to South Korea.

When is Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving 2026

Following the lunar calendar, the Chuseok in 2026 falls on September 25, and an annual traditional festival takes place on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month - also known as the Korean Mid-Autumn Festival.

When is the Chuseok Holiday

Chuseok holiday typically starts from the day before Chuseok to the day after, a 3-day national holiday from September 24 to 26 in 2026, when most Koreans back to their hometowns with gifts and their thankful for the harvest and ancestors.

Note: Always avoid your long-distance South Korea trip during this busy holiday transport rush.

Why Chuseok is Also the Korean's Thanksgiving Day

Chuseok is a harvest festival, sharing the same spirit as Western Thanksgiving - gratitude to nature and the year's harvest, food sharing on a big household meal, and family togetherness.

Difference between Chuseok and Thanksgiving

• Chuseok also includes gratitude to ancestors by visiting and tidying graves
• Chuseok (meaning the great middle of autumn evening) is an autumn festival rooted in agrarian traditions
• The Korean Thanksgiving is more about traditions and filial piety
• Instead of turkey, Koreans usually eat songpyeon, the half-moon rice cake, as a celebration

Are Chuseok and the Mid-Autumn Festival the Same

Both the Chinese and Korean mid-autumn festivals follow the lunar calendar - they celebrate on the same date, and worship family reunions.

However, the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival in Chinese, with more moon-related activities you can experience, and showcases another kind of Asian culture of family gatherings.

Ancestral Worship Rite Table With Offerings

What are the Key Chuseok Traditions

Charye, the Ancestral Worship Rites

Similar to the Korean New Year, Seollal, Koreans begin the Chuseok celebration with charye, which is always the main custom of most traditional Korean festivals. On Chuseok Day, the local family will prepare food, drinks, and newly harvested rice on the altar table in the early morning for their ancestors, as a respect for the afterlife.

Seongmyo & Beolcho, Grave Visiting & Tidying

The ancestor memorial service in Chuseok is grand and complete. After the home ritual of charye, Korean family members also visit the ancestral graves with offerings and gear - clean the ashes, remove the leaves, pluck the weeds around, and show descendants' respect again through their deep bows.

Gift Giving

A custom of modern times, also a good way to show appreciation and thankfulness to family and friends. Have no idea about Chuseok gifts for your Korean friends? Popular Chuseok gift sets include fresh fruits (melon, peach, mulberry), premium ingredients (ginseng, butt mushroom, beef, wine, olive oil), health care products, and sweet desserts.

Traditional Korean Confections, Hangwa

Play Traditional Games

Apart from the classic yut nori board games, yeonnalligi (kite flying), tuho (arrow-throwing), jegichagi (Korean shuttlecock kicking), and paengichigi (Korean top-spinning game), there are also some popular autumn games to experience:

• Ganggangsullae, Korean Circle Dance: a traditional folk dance performed under the full moon, when Korean women dress in delicate hanbok, hold hands in a circle while singing and dancing clockwise with steadily increasing speed - and of course, you can be one of them!
• Ssireum, Korean wrestling: two players hold onto each other's satba band to wrestle their opponent to the ground; it is the most popular sport during the Chuseok holiday, also with plenty of contests to see.
• Juldarigi, tug of war: a fork game between the village, also a predictor rite to the future agricultural events - with two teams representing the male and female forces of the natural world, if the female team wins, it would be a harvest year.

Enjoy Family Meal

After the day's preparation, it is time to enjoy the Chuseok dinner with the family gathering. Special festival food includes Songpyeon (Korean traditional rice cake) and Hangwa (traditional Korean confections).

Where to Celebrate the Korean Thanksgiving, Chuseok

Seoul - Full of Fun

Though the homecoming rush empties Seoul with tranquility during the Chuseok holiday, the numerous art and cultural events held there make it a top place to visit during Korean Thanksgiving.

Highlighted by the grand Seoul Autumn Festa, with lively art shows performed by community artists across generations and genres. It is a visual feast about opera, choreography, street theater, and outdoor exhibitions.

The empty themed parks of Lotte World and Everland during this special period are good places you can take advantage of, where you can also capture some festival parades.

Note: Seoul's palaces (Gyeongbokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Changdeokgung, Jongmyo Shrine, and the Joseon Royal Tombs) are also free to enter during the Korean Thanksgiving - best for a hanbok stroll.

Namsangol Hanok Village - Recreate the Customs

It is one of the most recommended and popular places to go during your Korean Thanksgiving. You can clearly know this harvest celebration's progress by its casual outdoor setting, and it is also bustling with traditional performances and various folk games to see and try.

Watch the ganggangsullae circle dance under the full moon up close, try the paper tile game features in Squid Game, and make your own pearl inlay souvenir at the craft workshop, or even the traditional rice cake Songpyeon - this central Seoul hanok village is the top choice for family visitors with kids.

Note: Make your early arrival here to avoid the crowds and catch its special Chuseok programs. More popular hanok villages you can visit include: Korean Folk Village, Andong Hahoe Folk Village, Bukchon Hanok Village, and more.

Jeju Island - Culture Meets Nature

When looking for something more than the traditional Korean mid-autumn celebration, Jeju Island in the south is another top place to enjoy the culture, nature, and harvest fun.

You can spend the Korean Thanksgiving Day at Jeju Folk Village, offering an immersive tour through its well-preserved thatched houses, pungmul performances with folk music and drums, and of course, traditional games and the authentic Chuseok dinner.

As for the rest of the time, head to one of the mandarin farms to try some juicy pick, find your ideal beach to lie down, take a leisurely hike to Hallasan, or go down to the underground lava cave of Manjanggul. During this pleasant autumn festival, there are always plenty of things to do on Jeju Island.

More Top Things to Do During Chuseok Visit

• Relax at the beach: Autumn is not the official beach season in South Korea, while the weather around Korea's seaside is still comfortable at around 20℃ (68℉), making a leisurely and affordable beach holiday in Busan and Jeju Island without crowds is not a dream.

• Take a temple stay: September and October are some of the best times to visit South Korea, as well as the ideal period for a relaxing temple stay. Imagine meditating surrounded by fall foliage in shades of gold and ruby while sampling freshly made produce from the mountain harvest.
• Enjoy a simple hike: After the harvest events and traditions, it is recommended to take a mountain hike to somewhere higher to admire this country's autumn view from another angle. Bukhansan National Park, an easy-to-reach choice from Seoul, is favored by locals; or head to Seoraksan in the north, where you can capture its stunning fall colors in September.
• Join a day trip from Seoul: From the DMZ to take a glimpse at its mysterious neighbor, to the scenic Nami Island to feel the breath of nature, just take advantage of the excellent weather to explore Seoul and its charming neighbor. Check the article below for more day trip ideas from Seoul, or feel free to contact us about your needs and preferences.

What is the Chuseok Food to Eat

Songpyeon, Korean Traditional Rice Cake

The colorful, sweet, and chewy rice cake is the main dish prepared and enjoyed during Chuseok. Filled with plenty of nuts as ingredients, the Songpyeon rice cake is usually made in a half-moon shape (as a wish for a brighter future) and steamed with pine needles - you will love its special smell and nutty taste.

Hangwa, Traditional Korean Confections

Hangwa is a popular ceremonial food during the Chuseok and Seollal holidays, filled with various Korean candies ranging from bite-sized tea food to jelly-like summer dessert, from deep-fried confection to rolling toast - an ideal gift and souvenir.

Baekju, New Rice Liquor

Just as the name suggests, it is a clear wine made from freshly harvested rice, the best match for bulgogi (grilled beef) and jeon (Korean pancakes).

Korean Thanksgiving Chuseok Travel Tips

• Since Chuseok is a mid-autumn festival including the ancestor worship ceremony, ask permission before photographing, especially during the rite.
• Book flight and train tickets early to secure your seats (tickets usually release a month in advance), as the fully booked and overloaded transport is a common sight during the holiday - it is not easy to stand in the aisles with the traffic jam.
• If possible, avoid the first and last day journey somewhere further away. Sightseeing in a single city will be helpful to avoid most of the busy traffic.
• Check the operating hours for those restaurants and stores you want to visit during the Chuseok holiday (of course, those major stores and restaurants still open their businesses), instead of being turned away, or contact Odynovo for your multiple backup plans during this special holiday visit.

More South Korean Festivals You May Also Like

• Seollal, Korean New Year: another best choice to join if you are looking for authentic traditions and cultures of South Korean locals during your winter holiday, also the biggest national event for your immersive experience, from greeting customs to more festival food to enjoy.
• Gwangju Kimchi Festival: during the harvest season of autumn in South Korea, why not head to Gwangju to sample various kimchi (fermented vegetables) made by different kimchi masters? You can even learn some techniques and recipes from them to make your own kimchi.
• Andong Mask Dance Festival: for a more direct cultural experience, don't miss the vivid mask dancing performance in Andong Hahoe Village, also bustling with folk games and a grand parade. Most importantly, you can join the celebration with those well-designed masks.