추석맞이 다문화가정 축제
For Koreans, Chuseok is usually a time to get together with family.
But to celebrate, you don't have to be Korean, and you don't have to be family either.
Our Lee Kyung-eun went to the city of Wonju, where people from all around the world are making the most of the holiday and being part of their community.
The city of Wonju held an international Chuseok festival on Tuesday, with local residents and multicultural families sharing the thanksgiving culture of their home countries, including South Korea, Cambodia, Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam.
The organizers in the city government say they hope to build a more inclusive community.
"Ahead of nation's biggest holiday, which is all about togetherness, we wanted to raise our residents' awareness of multicultural families and of their global citizenship."
About 50 multicultural families set up booths promoting their respective cultures.
There you could make Chinese dragon lanterns, traditional Vietnamese masks, a hornpipe from the Philippines called a Torotot and Japanese rice cake called Dango.
It brought back memories of their home countries, and at the same time, offered local residents an exotic experience.
They said this kind of event benefits the community as a whole.
"Learning about each other's cultures can help people get along better. It also reduces stereotpyes of each other, which can help us adapt to this country."
There was also a chance to learn about the Korean side, such as making the iconic rice cakes called Songypeon and fried ribbon cookies called Maejakgwa.
"It's my first time making Songpyeon. It is really fun, and it tastes delicious. I'm planning to make some for my family during the actual holiday."
Outside there were traditional Korean dance performances, and games like arm wrestling and Jegi-chagi, which is like Hacky Sack.
If you don't happen to be in Wonju, there are similar events to check out in other cities, including Seoul and Daegu.
Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News, Wonju.
#Chuseok #festival #multiculturalfamilies #Wonju
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