You are 147 miles away from your nearest relatives. You can’t expect to talk to your family and taste delicious pancakes for the ancestral rite. There’s no help coming for you. You are completely alone for five straight days. You sit next to a stranger on a bus 147, headed to ‘home’ in Yeoksam-dong. The stranger sitting next to you makes a phone call to his parents: “When should I return home? Today?” The words stick sharp in your ears as if to emphasize the fact that you are alone for five days. The traffic is heavy due to cars leaving Seoul. Many cars have open windows. The drivers are annoyed by the traffic, but you see a smile on their faces. Seoul is no longer someone’s hometown but the home of all the others.
Chuseok is considered to be the biggest holiday in South Korea. Families gather to hold a memorial called ‘charye’ on the morning of Chuseok. In order to prepare for the ancestral rite, those who are responsible for cooking (mostly women according to Korean customs, accompanied by men) get together at the house of the eldest son of a family. During the process, we often meet relatives we haven’t met for a long time and discuss their recent situations. In fact, this is what Chuseok offers us. Throughout the holidays (long enough to take a break from his/her jobs), we get to meet our relatives and strengthen the family relationship.
Yet, think about those who cannot return to their hometown. Even on Chuseok, some in the service industry still remain in their workplace. According to a recent study conducted by ‘Albachungook’ in 2017, 3 out of 5 people in their twenties spend their time alone during Chuseok. Two of the biggest reasons are: part-time job and the scolding of relatives and family members. As shown in the statistics, quite a peculiar phenomenon is happening in modern days. Chuseok, a symbol of harmony with family members, is being shunned due to strange reasons.
As aforementioned, I myself could not return to my hometown, Daegu, due to ‘SAT intense study class’. What differs my experience from the previous examples is ‘willingness’. Thus, on a scale from 1 to 10 in terms of productivity and loneliness, I’d rate my Chuseok a 10. Both productivity and loneliness may be the last word that comes to mind when we think of Chuseok. For those of you who could not visit their relatives on Chuseok, cheer up! You are not the only one.
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