What does Thanksgiving feel like?
If you are American, it probably tastes of turkey and cranberry sauce, smells of a relative´s perfume, looks like 50 shades of orange and sounds of a mix of family excitement and mediation.
But for most of the other 17 countries that designate a holiday to show gratitude, their day is a different sensorial experience. Their narrative is different to the Plymouth pilgrims and this plays out in the aesthetics that mark their holiday.
Chuseok
Chuseok is a three-day full harvest moon holiday where Koreans travel to their ancestral homes to thank them for their plentiful harvest. The days start with Charye (ancestor worshiping), follow with Beolcho (maintenance of the graves by plucking the weeds around) and end with a feast of fall food like permission, chestnuts and rice cakes called Songpyeon.
We asked Su Hyun Shin, a Korean graphic designer who organizes surf expeditions and is part of our Tastemakers Community, to describe it for us: “It looks like the country-side and the moon. It smells of fried Jeon (a fish fritter). And as the women have to cook everything, it feels… exhausting! A bit like in the recently-released movie Big Mama´s Crazy Ride”
Moon Festival
This celebration is a descendent from the original Chinese customs of moon-sacrificial ceremonies, where a series of prayers, poems, and offerings were burned for the moon. Nowadays, people appreciate the moon by gathering around a table and eating mooncakes while reflecting on the importance of togetherness.
“We watch the moon and we eat mooncakes (rounded pastries that represent togetherness and unison) in a ceremonial-like manner. In years when we go full-tradition, we dance and play with festival lanterns. It´s a happy event characterized by lights and excitement” explains Tastemaker Ruan Li, who works in business development for a pharmaceutical company.
