Chusok Holiday

This weekend Koreans celebrate Chusok. It is somewhat like our Thanksgiving. Koreans from all around the peninsula travel to be with their families and give thanks to their ancestors for a good harvest. We were advised not to travel at all this weekend because the roads are jammed with travelers. They say that a trip that might normally take 2-3 hours will take 8-10 hours due to traffic this weekend.

Austin and Lauren each had a Chusok celebration at school. They each have quite a few Korean and Korean-American kids in their schools. The Korean parents all made traditional Chusok festival foods to share with the American kids. The food was delicious and very different from anything I've had here before. One of the most interesting foods was the rice cakes. Rice is steamed and then mashed into a rice paste and made into balls. They are then rolled in different flavorings and some have a filling inside. (see picture) Many of the girls in Lauren's class wore the traditional Hanbok dress. They are beautiful dresses, but a bit hot. Of course I forgot to bring my camera so I'll try to download a picture of a Hanbok dress. When our Thanksgiving comes around it will the be American parents' turn to provide the food for the Korean kids and their parents.