My SLP-Chuseok celebration...

Chuseok is the Korean Thanksgiving celebration.  It is a huge deal in Korea.  Many of my older children told me they have off for a whole week from their regular schools, SLP only gives 2 days (but I’ll take what I can get right!?).  Koreans travel far and wide to visit with their families on this day, they eat and “pay worship to their ancestors” (at least that’s what Wikipedia told me). 

SLP Kindergarteners had a whole day of celebration for this holiday.  Every student came into school wearing their traditional Chuseok outfits known as Hanbok (HAN-BO).  The Korean teachers even bring in Hanbok for all the foreign teachers to wear.  It was a really fun day, and a learning experience for me to learn a little about the traditional celebration.

First, we made songpyeon.  Basically it’s a rice cake outside (rice cake is very soft and can be molded like play-dough).  You flatten it into a circle to symbolize the moon, fill it with sugar and sesame seeds, and then fold it in half and pinch it closed (this symbolized a half moon).  All the kids made a bunch to take home to their families, very fun but very messy- sugar was everywhere!

Then we played traditional games.  One was a board game called yutnori.  I didn’t really understand the rules, but you throw these sticks that are marked and they tell how many spaces you can move forward.  Another game, jegichagi, is where you kick a shuttlecock like a hackie-sack… just trying to keep it up.  We also threw these colorful sticks into the garbage can.  * I can’t remember the name of this game, I’ll have to get back to you all on this one * The sticks were pointed at the end almost like arrows.  We had “chicken fights” where the kids stood on one leg and tried to push each other over (a little dangerous and violent for 5 year olds don’t you think).  And we did some arm wrestling (again, slightly inappropriate for 5 year olds).

This is Sunny... my partner teacher, we share the two classes of 5 year old kindergarteners! 

 

I hope these videos work… one is just of my kids being silly and one is of the “chicken fighting”.

It was a really fun day for everyone!! Hope you enjoy the pictures of me and my kids, the Hanbok were are really beautiful!  Check back soon for a post about my 4 day weekend (I LOVE CHUSEOK FOR GIVING ME TIME OFF!!)