The meaning of Chuseok shifts from ancestral rites to family gatherings

This year, 43% of respondents said they would skip Charye or visiting ancestral graves and instead meet with family and relatives during Chuseok. Another 43% said they would hold family gatherings while also observing Charye and visiting ancestral graves, showing a similarly high figure. A survey by Sungkyunkwan University's Survey Research Center of 1,220 adults nationwide found that Chuseok is increasingly being viewed as a time to meet family rather than to observe traditional rituals. The share of respondents saying they would meet family and relatives regardless of Charye or visiting ancestral graves reached 86%. Other surveys also showed a decline in the share of people saying they would observe Charye. In a survey by the Korea Rural Economic Institute, the share of respondents saying they would observe Charye this Chuseok was 27.3%, down from last year. In a Korea Research survey, both the share of respondents saying they would observe Charye or ancestral rites and responses related to visiting ancestral graves declined from last year.