Chilseok
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Chilseok is a Korean festival celebrated yearly on the night of the seventh day of the seventh month of the traditional lunisolar Korean calendar.
Known as Qi Xi in China and Tanabata in Japan, the original celebration was inspired by a famous Chinese folklore, The Princess and the Cowherd. It is a love story between Gyeonu (Hangul: 견우; Hanja: 牽牛; Revised Romanization: Gyeon(-)u; McCune-Reischauer: Kyŏnu), the Cowherd Prince, and Jiknyeo (Hangul: 직녀; Hanja: 織女; Revised Romanization: Jik(-)nyeo; McCune-Reischauer: Chingnyŏ), the Princess of the Kingdom of Heaven.
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[edit] Customs
Chilseok is a period where the heat starts to pass away and the monsoon season begins. The rain that falls during this period is called Chilseok water. As pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons start to flourish during this period, people used to offer a pumpkin fry to the Great Dipper, although this custom is not practiced these days. During Chilseok, it is tradition to eat wheat-flour noodles and grilled wheat cake, wheat pancake (milijeonbyeong), and rice cake with red beans (sirutteok). Chilseok is known as the last period to have a chance of enjoying wheat based foods, since the cold winds expected after Chilseok ruin the good scent of wheat. Therefore these dishes are a must for the dinner table.
[edit] Story of Gyeonu and Jiknyeo
In the Kingdom of Stars, Jingnyo was well known for her beautiful embroidery and wonderful weaving skills. Jingnyo's father was the Emperor of this celestial kingdom. He wanted a blissful life for Jingnyo, and thus hoped for a hard working and caring man that could make his daughter happy. Time passed, and Kyonu came to the attention of the Emperor. Kyonu was a prince of a neighbouring kingdom, and his name was widely known for his cattle. Kyonu had a gentle hand and was a hardworking man who took excellent care of his cattle. Pleased with him, the Emperor called for an engagement between Kyonu and Jingnyo.
The two fell deeply in love when they first laid eyes on each other. It was a blissful marriage, and the kingdoms rejoiced. However, as time passed on, Jingnyo's beautiful tapestries and weaving tools lay forgotten, covered in dust. Kyonu's cattle were neglected and in poor health. The two lovers had eyes only for each other and had ignored their responsibilities. The Emperor was annoyed. He called for Kyonu and Jingnyo and ordered them to be immediately separated. Broken-hearted and desperate, they pleaded for the Emperor to reconsider.
However, all their pleading and begging fell on deaf ears. Thus, Kyonu and Jingnyo were separated and were sent to the East and the West, to tend to cattle and weaving. Day by day, Kyonu did not have the strength to tend to his cattle and Jingnyo could barely see the loom through her tears. Finally feeling pity, the Emperor relented and decided to let the two be reunited once a year on the seventh day of the seventh moon.
The anticipated day came, and Kyonu and Jingnyo rushed to the Silver River (milky way). But all they could do was to call out helplessly as the Silver River was too deep and too wide for them to reach each other. Their tears fell down from the Kingdom of Stars as rain on Earth. It poured so hard that the land was getting flooded and the animals that inhabited Earth began to worry. The rabbit suggested building a bridge but the tiger roared that they had no time. The magpie suddenly came up with an idea and gathered its cousin the crow and the two flew up to the skies with their brethren. Across the Silver River, a bridge of crows and magpies began to form. The tears of Kyonu and Jingnyo began to dry, and their delighted faces shone down on Earth. The lovers treaded softly on the bridge of magpies and crows and met in the middle with a loving embrace. They whispered their love to each other and looked deeply into each other's eyes. When dawn came upon them, Kyonu and Jingnyo were slowly separated as the bridge of birds dispersed.
To this day, they say that on the seventh day of the seventh moon, the magpies and crows vanish but to reappear the very next day with bald heads due to steps of Kyonu and Jingnyo. If it rains on this day, it is said to be the tears of Kyonu and Jingnyo once again having to depart each other.
