This year’s Chuseok, Korea’s beloved harvest festival, was marked not only by family gatherings and cultural celebrations but also by unseasonably high temperatures and a spectacular supermoon.
Chuseok, often compared to Thanksgiving in the West, typically falls around the harvest season in late September or early October.
However, this year, the festival occurred under scorching heatwave warnings, with temperatures soaring to 34°C in Daegu and 31°C in Seoul, giving the holiday an unusual summer-like atmosphere.
The daytime heat persisted well into the night, breaking records for the "latest tropical night in meteorological history."
As Koreans across the country gathered with family for the traditional festivities, they were met with an unexpected wave of hot weather.
Many regions experienced tropical nights—where temperatures stay above 25°C—even as the nation prepared to observe the serene beauty of the full moon, a traditional aspect of Chuseok celebrations.
Despite the heat, the highlight of this year’s Chuseok was the dazzling supermoon that rose on the night of September 17.
A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth, known as perigee, making it appear larger and brighter in the sky.
This year’s supermoon shone brightly despite scattered showers across the country.
In Seoul, where the sky was overcast for most of the day, the moon finally emerged through the clouds, much to the delight of onlookers.
According to the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, the moon rose at 6:17 PM on the 17th and set the next morning at 6:02 AM.
The moon reached its perfectly rounded phase at 11:34 AM on September 18, when it was just 358,211 kilometers away from Earth—significantly closer than its average distance of 384,400 kilometers.
This made it appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than a typical full moon.
In Korean tradition, the full moon during Chuseok is especially significant.
Families gather to admire its beauty and make wishes for health, happiness, and prosperity in the coming year.
This year, despite the clouds and heat, many Koreans took a moment to gaze at the supermoon, continuing the age-old practice of wish-making under the bright lunar glow.
Interestingly, the full moon during Chuseok corresponds to what is known as the "Harvest Moon" in European and American cultures.
The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox and is traditionally associated with the completion of harvest activities.
This connection reinforces the deep-rooted agricultural significance of Chuseok, which is a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest and to honor ancestors.
As the supermoon illuminated the night sky during Chuseok, it offered a moment of beauty and reflection amidst the unusual warmth.
Koreans across the country gazed at the bright moon, each with their own wishes for the future, in a timeless tradition that transcends weather and time.
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