Chuseok: honouring ancestors

Investigations and activities (SOSE/History Focus)

1. a) In small groups, talk about your understanding of these concepts: ‘ancestors’, ‘death’, ‘memorial’ and ‘rituals’. One member of each group can write notes.

b) Record your understandings by organising them into categories for each area such as types of memorials, funerals and rituals for ancestors and relatives.

c) What is your opinion of the role of an annual Korean ritual like Chuseok?

d) Find out about burial customs in your community. Have a class discussion comparing and contrasting the various customs both within Australia and between Australia and Korea.

2. What do other public holidays in Korea celebrate? How does the total number of Korean public holidays compare with Australian public holidays? How is the meaning of the holidays different in Korea and Australia? Visit the National Holiday section of the Life in Korea website and /or Wikipedia's information about public holidays in Korea.
3. Find out more about the ideology of Confucianism and its founder, Confucius. Where did Confucianism originate? What countries have been influenced by Confucianism? Make a poster to represent your findings and display it in class.