Sporting Korean traditional hanboks, Heike Arrowood, left, shares a laugh with Jani Gamez during a Chuseok reception Sept. 27, 2012, at Camp Casey in Dongducheon, South Korea. More than 250 people were in attendance at the event, which brings together U.S. military officials and Koreans from the area to celebrate the second most-important holiday in South Korea. Arrowood is wife of 302nd Brigade Support Battalion Command Sgt. Maj. Rodney Arrowood, and Gamez is wife of of the 302nd BSB Commander Adrian Gamez. (Jon Rabiroff/Stars and Stripes)
Sporting Korean traditional hanboks, Heike Arrowood, left, shares a laugh with Jani Gamez during a Chuseok reception Sept. 27, 2012, at Camp Casey in Dongducheon, South Korea. More than 250 people were in attendance at the event, which brings together U.S. military officials and Koreans from the area to celebrate the second most-important holiday in South Korea. Arrowood is wife of 302nd Brigade Support Battalion Command Sgt. Maj. Rodney Arrowood, and Gamez is wife of of the 302nd BSB Commander Adrian Gamez. (Jon Rabiroff/Stars and Stripes)
Lindsay Hatfield (left), the wife of U.S. Army Garrison-Red Cloud Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Hatfield, poses for a photograph with 2nd Infantry Division "good neighbor" Julie Back during a reception Sept. 27, 2012, at Camp Casey in South Korea. More than 250 attended the event to mark the South Korean holiday of Chuseok, with some attendees dressed in traditional Korean outfits. (Jon Rabiroff/Stars and Stripes)
Maj. Gen. Edward Cardon greets guests at a reception Sept. 27, 2012, at Camp Casey in South Korea to celebrate the Chuseok, a Korean holiday similar to Thanksgiving in the U.S. With Cardon is his wife Linda, dressed in a Korean hanbok. (Jon Rabiroff/Stars and Stripes)
Guests mingle at a reception Sept. 27, 2012, to mark the upcoming Chuseok holiday at Camp Casey in South Korea. More than 250 people attended. (Jon Rabiroff/Stars and Stripes)
SEOUL — Areas around U.S. military bases will turn into virtual ghost towns this weekend, limiting some services, as millions of South Koreans pack highways to celebrate Chuseok, the country’s annual harvest festival.
South Korea’s second-biggest holiday, which is akin to Thanksgiving in the U.S., is Sunday, with the day before and after making it a three-day weekend.
Families return to their ancestral hometowns, where they visit their ancestors’ graves and prepare a ceremonial table of food in their honor. The traditional foods include songpyeon, a half-moon-shaped rice cake filled with sesame seeds or chestnut paste.
One of the most popular gifts exchanged during the holiday are boxes of Spam. While the gelatinous canned meat is often the subject of jokes in the U.S., it’s a staple in many Asian countries, a legacy of the American military’s presence during World War II and the Korean War.
About 30 million Koreans are expected to travel during the holiday, with the worst traffic expected Saturday.
For American servicemembers, off-base driving will be restricted. Monday will be a U.S. Forces Korea holiday.
U.S. military officials are using the occasion to encourage servicemembers to learn more about Korean traditions.
For example, the 2nd Infantry Division and U.S. Garrison–Red Cloud held their annual Chuseok reception Thursday for nearby Korean residents at Camp Casey in Dongducheon. More than 250 people attended, and spouses of 2ID leaders wore traditional Korean hanboks.
“The 2nd Infantry Division has a deep respect and appreciation for the rich Korean culture and is committed to building strong relationships with the communities surrounding our garrisons and units,” division spokesman Lt. Col. Joe Scrocca said. “The 2ID Chuseok reception helps build cultural appreciation and strengthen the close ties of friendship.”
South Korean’s largest holiday is Lunar New Year, which will next be celebrated on Feb. 10.
