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Chusok - the Korean Thanksgiving.

This year, it was celebrated on September 20. Chusok means "mid autumn day" and occurs during the harvest season. Much like the American holiday "Thanksgiving Day", Korean families take this time to thank their ancestors for providing them with rice and fruits. The celebration starts on the night before Chusok and ends on the day after the holiday. Thus, many Korean families take three days off from work to get together with family and friends.

The top part called a jeogori is blouse-like with long sleeves with the men's version being longer, stretching down to the waist. Women wear skirts (chima) while men wear baggy pants (paji). Commoners wore white, except during festivals and special occasions such as weddings. Clothes for the upper classes were made of bright colors and indicated the wearer's social status. Various accessories such as foot gear, jewelry, and headdresses or hair pins completed the outfit.

Kanggangsuwollae (Ganggangsulrai) is a form of a circle dance where a group of women join hands and sing. At first, the dancers move slowly in a clockwise motion. Finally the dance accelerates to a rapid whirling climax. Kanggangsuwollae is not only the name of the group dance, it is also the name of the song.

When performing kanggangsuwollae, a soloist sings the lyrics and the rest sing the refrain. In the course of the singing, the person who is the soloist must stand in the middle of the circle. And the refrain is sung by the rest of the people who make up the dance. The refrain kanggangsuwollae means "watch and guard the surrounding". It is believed that this dance was used during wartimes.

It is said that this dance was used to trick the 16th century invaders. The women would build a bonfire and danced around it to trick the army into believing that the Korean army was much larger than it was.

It's very interesting strategy, don't you think?

The celebration starts with a family get-together at which rice cakes called "Songphyun" are served. These special rice cakes are made of rice, beans, sesame seeds, and chestnuts. (To those who are not familiar with this dish, it is half-moon shaped and filled with stuffing made from sesame seed and sugar. The dish is always steamed on top of pine needles.) Then the family pays respect to ancestors by visiting their tombs and offering them rice and fruits. In the evening, children wear their favorite hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) and dance under the bright moon in a large circle. They play games and sing songs. Like the American Thanksgiving, Chusok is the time to celebrate the family and give thanks for their blessings.