Join us for a grand celebration of the Korean fall harvest holiday, Chuseok!

The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. is proud to co-present the annual Chuseok Family Festival hosted by the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) throughout the day on Saturday, September 21, with support from the National Museum of Korea.

Visitors are invited to discover and experience this important cultural tradition through live performances, arts and craft workshops, a hanbok (한복) clothing try-on and photo zone, a traditional charye (차례) ancestral tribute display, Korean food talks and cooking demos, scavenger hunts, folk tale experiences, Korean-style food vendors, guided gallery talks and tours, programming from local community groups, and much more. See below for a full schedule of performances and activities from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Chuseok (추석), also known as Hangawi (한가위) or simply Korean Thanksgiving, is one of Korea's most important and beloved holidays. For many Koreans it is a time to journey home, reconnect with family and loved ones, and to give thanks for life’s blessings. Chuseok traditionally falls on the day of the largest full moon according to the lunar calendar, signaling the end of the harvest season and a time to relax while thanking one’s ancestors for the season’s abundance. For more on Chuseok and its rich traditions, scroll down below.

This event is free, but advance registration is encouraged. For more information, visit the NMAA website. Also, join NMAA throughout September for other events celebrating Chuseok, including virtual tours and book talks. 

Chuseok Family Festival 

Saturday, September 21, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

The Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art (1050 Independence Ave. SW Washington, D.C.)

MORE INFORMATION & REGISTRATION

ACTIVITIES & PROGRAMS

Hanbok Trunk Show with House of Leehwa

East Building (Arthur M. Sackler Gallery), Museum Store

10:30 AM – 5 PM

Full Size Charye Table and Byeongpung Screen Display

Presented by the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C.

West Building (Freer Gallery of Art), north corridor

11 AM – 4 PM

Discover and experience Chuseok Charye (추석 차례)! This rich cultural tradition of respecting one’s ancestors centers around a ceremonial table filled with an array of foods, each with its own unique flavor, symbolism, and history. Scroll down below to learn more. 

Hanbok Fashion Photo Booth

Presented by the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C.

East Building, gallery 30

11 AM – 4 PM

Take an unforgettable photo (or ten!) wearing traditional Korean hanbok clothing and accessories!

Korean Minhwa (민화) Folk Art Coloring 

Presented by the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. 

West Building, South Corridor

11 AM – 4 PM

Korean Lantern and Fan Making

Presented by the National Folk Museum of Korea

East Building, Pavilion

11 AM – 4 PM

Pressed Mugunghwa (무궁화) Flower Artwork Display

East Building, Pavilion

11 AM – 4 PM

The name of Mugunghwa, Korea’s national flower, roughly translates to “eternal blossom that never fades.” It has been an important feature of the landscape and a symbol of Korean culture for centuries. These works were created by Jae Un Byun, Ashley Jeong, Jasmine Lee, Dahong Kim, Erin Ahn, Han June Lee, and students from Fairfax Academy in Virginia using mugunghwa, which is commonly known as the Rose of Sharon.

Minhwa, Korean Folk Art Workshops led by Stephanie S. Lee

Presented by the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C.

East Building, ImaginAsia Studio, level B2

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM, 1:30 – 2:30 PM, & 3 – 4 PM

Led by experienced artist and educator Stephanie S. Lee, this hands-on, hour-long session immerses participants in the vibrant and symbolic world of Minhwa painting and is suitable for all ages. Seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Family Fun Scavenger Hunt & Sketching

West Building, galleries 12 and 14

11 AM – 12:45 PM

Family Fun Korean Folk & Fairy Tales

West Building Courtyard

11 AM – 12:45 PM

Food on the Plaza: AJM Kimchi, Yomie's Rice x Yogurt, KBBQBOX

12 – 4 PM

Chuseok Delights: Creating Beautiful Songpyeon and Setting a Charye Table

A Cooking Demonstration with Magpie and the Tiger

East Building, gallery 27

11 AM – 12 PM, 1 – 2 PM, & 3 – 4 PM

Seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

TOURS & TALKS

Gallery Tour: Rediscovering Korea’s Past with curator Keith Wilson

West Building, gallery 14

1 PM

Docent Tour: Rediscovering Korea’s Past

West Building, gallery 14

3 PM

Spotlight Talks

The Peacock Room, Gallery 13, & Gallery 17

2 – 4 PM

PERFORMANCES

Presented by the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C.

Enjoy traditional performances throughout the day outside on the Plaza and in the Meyer Auditorium.

Gil-Nori Parade (길놀이), & Kkodugaksi Chum Puppet Dance (꼭두각시 춤) by Korean Traditional Arts Foundation

Freer Plaza

11 – 11:30 AM

Gil-Nori is a traditional Korean musical parade that serves to chase away misfortune and bring good luck (note: this performance will start outdoors in front of the Sackler Gallery and move to the Freer Plaza). Kkodugaksi Chum is a playful traditional Korean dance for families and youth in which performers creatively portray puppets or dolls.

Samdo Sul Janggu (삼도 설장구) & Samdo Nongak Garak (삼도 농악 가락) by Washington Samulnori

Freer Plaza

11:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Samulnori is an intense and lively form of Korean percussion music that thrives on the energy and excitement shared between performer and audience. It derives from traditional farmers band music unique to each region of Korea, as is the case with Samdo Sul Janggu and Samdo Nongak Garak, and typically features four iconic instruments.

Buchae Chum (부채춤), HwaSeonMooGok (화선무곡), and Mega Drum Nanta (모듬북) by Di Dim Sae Korean Traditional Art Institute

Freer Plaza

12:30 – 1 PM

This showcase of time-honored performing arts from Korea features Buchae Chum, a traditional fan dance, HwaSeonMooGok, a contemporary dance that evokes the freedom of movement in traditional Korean brush painting, and Mega Drum Nanta, featuring a thrilling upright drum line with both traditional and modern rhythms.

Korean Folk and American Blues Fusion Music: Yoona Kim & Roman Barten-Sherman

Meyer Auditorium

1:30 – 2 PM & 3:15 – 3:45 PM

Two quintessentially soulful music styles – Korean traditional strings and American Southern blues – collide in this unique program of 10 original and adapted classics from both traditions by Yoona Kim & Roman Barten-Sherman. The program opens with Delta Ddokaebi (아쟁, 미국에 오다: 한국음악 X 델타블루스), featuring the Korean ajeng (아쟁) and the American banjo, plus fusion renditions of Arirang (아리랑), Taryeong (타령), and classics by the Mississippi Sheiks, Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong, Curley Weaver, Lucile Bogan, and Tommy Johnson.

Gayageum and Violin Duo: Ariana Kim and Young-Nam Kim

Meyer Auditorium

2:15 – 3 PM

This real-life father-daughter musical duo inspired by Korean musical traditions features Ariana Kim, gayageum performer and composer, and her father and violinist Young-Nam Kim. Together they will perform Apba Hagoo Nah Hagoo (아빠하고 나하고) based on the beloved Korean children’s song and book, and Gayageum Sanjo, a form of semi-improvisational music featuring the iconic gayageum zither.

ABOUT CHUSEOK

Chuseok (추석), also known as Hangawi (한가위) or simply referred to as Korean Thanksgiving, is one of Korea's most important and beloved holidays. For many Koreans it is a time to journey home, reconnect with family and loved ones, and to give thanks for life’s blessings. Traditionally it is on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, which in 2024 falls on September 17. Chuseok literally means “autumn evening” and originates with agricultural society as a celebration of the harvest coinciding with a full moon. The holiday’s other name, Hangawi, also means “great ideas of autumn.” According to the lunar calendar, the largest full moon of the year appears on this day, signaling the end of the harvest season and a time to relax while thanking one’s ancestors for the season’s abundance.

Today, many families still gather to share food, games, and fond memories during Chuseok, wherever they live. Many families also maintain the tradition of holding a ritual of thanks with newly harvested crops, expressing their appreciation to their ancestors and to nature itself. Just like Thanksgiving and other harvest festivals worldwide, Chuseok is a blissful time to reconnect and be grateful for all of life’s blessings. As the Korean saying goes, “No more, no less—may it always be perfect like Chuseok” (더도 말고 덜도 말고 한가위만 같아라).

In Korea, the day before and after are also typically part of the public holiday, allowing people to travel to their ancestral hometowns and be with family. A traditional Chuseok feast includes an array of treats and delicacies, including half-moon shaped rice cakes known as Songpyeon (송편), deep-fried, honey-soaked wheat confections known as Yakgwa (약과), savory pancakes of meat, fish, or vegetables known as Jeon (전), and herb-infused rice wine known as Baekju (백주) or newly-made rice liquor known as Shindoju (신도주).

Chuseok is also often marked by other important cultural traditions. During Charye (차례), the family visits their ancestral gravesite for Seongmyo (성묘), to bow and present a symbolic offering of favorite foods or drink, usually accompanied by Beolcho (벌초), the act of tidying up the gravesites by removing weeds to maintain a cared-for appearance, perhaps while wearing traditional Hanbok (한복) clothing.

ABOUT CHARYE

What is Charye?

Fundamentally, Charye is a way to remember, thank, and honor one’s ancestors, as well as to invite their continued blessings. Akin to an intimate memorial service or rite, it is often performed in the home during Seollal (Lunar New Year's Day), Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day), and other traditional holidays. The Charye tradition centers around the Charye table; an array of foods are lovingly prepared by family members and displayed on the table, which also serves as a place to pay one’s respects with a formal bow. Traditional holidays in Korea often include merrymaking and family fun, but the presence of the Charye table is a quiet reminder that today’s blessings are made possible thanks to one’s ancestors.

Who performs Charye?

Charye is a tradition that brings together all members of the family and extended family, each of whom has a chance to briefly offer their respects with a formal bow. Traditionally and when possible, the family's eldest son and his eldest son host the Charye table itself.

Where is Charye held?

If a family has a dedicated ancestral shrine site, Charye would likely take place there. Otherwise, the Charye table would be set up in the main room of the home. Different families and regions in Korea may have their own Charye traditions.

How is Charye held?

The constraints and pace of modern life can often impede time-honored traditions, but Koreans will generally make a good faith effort to meet the requirements of a proper Charye as best they can. After all, Charye is as much or more about one’s pure sentiment and good intentions as it is about adhering to protocol. While not an explicitly religious tradition in the Western sense of the word, Charye nonetheless has an important spiritual aspect.

Traditionally, one prepares prior to Charye by keeping the mind and body clean for three days. On the morning of, the room housing the Charye table is purified with a brief ritual. Then, under the supervision of the lady of the house, particular foods are prepared for display, including soups, tteok (rice cakes), and jeon (savory pancakes). Meanwhile, male members of the household prepare a written invocation, memorial tablets, ritual vessels, and meat and fruits, all to be included on the table. When it is time to hold the Charye ceremony, the table is carefully set according to tradition with a folding screen behind it. The table also includes a small cup for sul (traditional liquor).

Elements of the Chuseok Charye Table

Charye tables can vary depending on region and family. However, an important foundational principle is Jinseol, or the proper directional arrangement of dishes according to their essential nature: for example, fish in the east and meat in the west, sweet sikhye drink in the east, and jujubes, chestnuts, pears, and persimmons arrayed from west to east. Some foods will appear in arrangements that contradict traditional Korean dining etiquette, indicating the table’s otherworldly significance. The table often features five rows of food items in total, all of which can take significant time to prepare by hand. The table itself also faces south, so that those taking part can face north.

The names of deceased family members are written on traditional Hanji paper and placed at the head of the table just in front of the screen to represent those ancestors’ spirits. Essentials like rice, soup, rice cakes, utensils, and liquor cups are placed in the first row just beyond the inscriptions; while Koreans universally eat with their rice bowls to the left of their soup bowls, here the rice is placed to the right of the soup—the proper position for those in the spirit world. During Chusoek, rice and soup will be replaced with Songpyeon, a traditional filled rice cake that resembles a half-moon.

The next row usually features beef and fish dishes, while the third row typically has three soups, each with a different base: beef, seafood, and tofu. The fourth row has dried fish on the left, sikhye at the opposite end, and vegetable side dishes in between. The last row is for sweets like fruit, nuts, and traditional confections; dates, chestnuts, pears, and persimmons are placed in this order from the left. Yakgwa (deep-fried, wheat-based cookies) and hangwa (airy and crunchy rice cookies) are on the right. Interestingly, peaches and red beans are never offered during these ceremonies as they are symbolically used to ward off spirits in other contexts—the opposite of the intention of the Charye table.

To learn more about Charye at Korean traditions, visit the National Folk Museum of Korea, the Korean Culture and Information Service, and  Korea’s main information website, Korea.net.