Chuseok/Korean Thanksgiving! Celebrating Harvest and Hope

In celebrating our cultural traditions in a modern way, I recently hosted the Korean fall harvest festival, Chuseok at our first home this year.  Growing up, my mom always gathered our close family and friends to our family home to share in the fruits of the harvest and play some traditional games.  I remember joyous evenings where my aunties would bring marinated greens, barley rice, stewed meats, the Chuseok traditional taro soup and of course wine and soju!  Spirits alive, my parents and their friends would eat, drink, sing and dance.  I remember sitting in the living room with my cousins and brother delighting in their joy.

I wanted to bring that joyous holiday to our growing family which now includes my husband and in-laws. This year was special because my in-laws just moved here from Ohio and never celebrated Chuseok.  I wanted to begin this tradition to share with them that feeling I had when we celebrated all those Chuseok holidays growing up here in Los Angeles.

My version of Korean braised short ribs. It is braised in soju and soy sauce.

My mom wasn't sure how my short ribs were gonna turn out so she can prepared with her delicious spicy pork ribs. Oh, she of little faith! My short ribs were fab!

Bok Choy salad that my mother-in-law made. Fresh and delicious!

Barley brown rice and Korean chive salad.

My braised short ribs finally done and falling off the bone... yumm.

My loaded stove with pots from my mom and aunt.

Chuseok table almost ready to go.

The men in my family looking and setting the table.

My uncle even brought sashimi! My family is from Pusan so it is all about the fresh seafood.

For my version of Chuseok, I wanted it to be more like a potluck style event because I like the idea in many Korean holidays where different members of the village bring different pieces of the meal or gather all their different rice and grains and cook it together.  Sharing food cooked by different hands is a part of sharing the harvest so I wanted to continue that in a modern way... potluck of course!  

Also, I wanted to include the symbolism of harvest on my table.  Koreans believe in filling the table with food which is why we always have many side dishes or Banchan but I also filled my glass vases with grapes, foliage from my backyard and jars of barley.  For my family, the last couple years and the economic downturn have really impacted our ability to consume and buy so I wanted this Chuseok to really represent that we are always full of family, love and hope.  Barley and fruits, for me, represent the fruits of labor and the hope of what is to come.

Afterwards, we had a rousing game of  Yut Nori or Korean Monopoly as my husband calls it.  This is traditionally played on Korean New Year or Lunar New Year but I got a free Yut Nori set from the Korean market.  It was really fun because everyone in my family is very competitive and it was a great way for the younger and older generations to engage in something together.  Everyone loves a good game!

Creating Traditions for your Modern Family

Looking back, many of our fond memories are of family holidays, traditions and celebrations.  As we grow older, many of those traditions take on a new meaning.  For me and some of my friends, we have been trying to re-capture our cultural and religious traditions to reflect our values as adults.  I think many of us are exploring how to convert these family traditions for the modern day.

One friend of mine started her own Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead celebration to remember loved ones who have passed on in our families and communities as well as learn more about the Mexican holiday. I have always been drawn the the Day of the Dead celebrations especially since we have similar celebrations in Korean culture.  It is a holiday where you celebrate that your loved ones are among you and there is nothing to fear in the afterlife.  One of the main themes in Day of the Dead is the skull or skeleton which are decorated beautifully with bright colors.  My friend bought ready-made sugar skulls from a local vendor and we made royal frosting to use as decoration and glue for sequins, sprinkles, etc.

The sugar skulls before decorating. They looks beautiful alone too.

Here is the skull that I made :)

We made a big tub of simple royal frosting and added gel food coloring in bright colors and then filled them in pastry funnels for all the adults and kids to use easily!

My friend also laminated directions which can be reused each year!

This is the altar made to those who have passed on which includes fruits, sweet traditional bread, Mexican chocolate and pictures of loved ones.

There was also a station to make paper flowers!  It was so fun!

A cultural traditional holiday like this one can be used as a day to gather together as a family and community to celebrate life and share a tradition where there are parallels to so many other cultures.

How have you re-interpreted or modernized your family traditions and cultures?

First Post!

After talking to so many friends and loved ones, it seems like this year has been a struggle for so many of us. Like me, many of us are looking for work that meets our passions, values and expenses (right!) while other are trying to strike that delicate balance between work, family, friends and still find time for ourselves!

I hope this blog becomes a space for ideas, dreams, practical solutions, spiritual questions and a place to see what cool, real people are doing to make their lives work in this economy in the city of Angels.

Happy Reading!