Chuseok / Moon Festival 2022
Chuseok/Harvest Moon Festival is one of the biggest holidays in the East. For the Koreans it is called Chuseok and for the Chinese it is called the Moon Festival because on this day the Moon is at its brightest and fullest size coinciding with harvest time in the middle of Autumn. It is sometimes referred to as the “Thanksgiving Festival” because it’s a special time for family, friends, and food. On this day, a full harvest moon appeared in the sky and families gathered to enjoy time together and give thanks to their ancestors for the plentiful harvest.
Chuseok literally “autumn evening” is a major mid-autumn harvest festival and is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid-September to early October of the Gregorian calendar. Like many other harvest festivals around the world, it is held around the autumn equinox i.e. at the very end of summer or in early autumn.
As a celebration of the good harvest people visit their ancestral hometowns and share a feast their traditional food. There are two major traditions related to ancestor memorial services at home and the family visit to the ancestral graves. Another major custom is to prepare the family’s ancestors their favorite meals as an offering.
We send words of comfort to people affected by the Typhoon Hinnamnor, which tore through some of the countries in the region this week. In this season of ‘thanksgiving’ and sharing let them come together in hope which will sustain them in this crisis in their lives.
We Columban Sisters remember all the people among whom we shared life with and celebrate in our hearts with you this day. May you be blessed by the Lord of the Harvest.
