Photologue @theuostimes7
September 21, 2021, is Chuseok (Thanksgiving day, in English), one of the two biggest holidays in Korea. Chuseok is August 15 of the lunar calendar every year. In Korea, a total of three days, including one day before and after Chuseok, are designated as national holidays. University students are cheering for the sweet rest that came three weeks after the start of the semester.
However, this year's Chuseok is something different from the erstwhile Chuseok: because of COVID-19. In Korea, visiting their hometown during the Chuseok holiday is traditionally a way to celebrate Chuseok. People appreciate their ancestors and commemorate them while performing ancestral rites. Families gather for a long time and talk about how they are getting along. However, large-scale movements to other regions and private meetings of relatives living in various regions can harm quarantine and worsen the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, the country implements special social distance measures for two weeks, including the Chuseok holiday. The authorities recommend refraining from visiting hometowns on Chuseok, but if they must visit, only those who have been vaccinated or at least a few people after the COVID-19 test can visit their hometown. Currently, level 4 of social distancing is taking place in the capital area. In the area of level 4, up to four people before 18 o'clock and up to two people after 18 o'clock could gather, and in the case of restaurants and cafes, up to four people, including those who completed vaccination, could gather until 21 o'clock. However, private gatherings of up to eight people, including the vaccinated, are available during the Chuseok holiday. However, it is worth remembering that this is a standard that is allowed only within the family and does not apply to multi-use facilities.
Chuseok is an important holiday for Koreans. Prohibiting movement to their hometown unconditionally for fear of pandemics can harm what Koreans think is important in their lives. However, at the same time, people are still responsible for their community. This Chuseok is the time when responsible citizenship is needed above all else.