🟠 Talking About Korean Festivals | Intermediate Level (TOPIK 3–4)

Do you know how to describe Korean festivals like Chuseok or Seollal in Korean conversations?

Korean festivals are filled with traditions, food, and family gatherings. In this lesson, you’ll learn essential vocabulary and expressions to talk about popular festivals, perfect for intermediate learners preparing for cultural discussions or traveling in Korea during holiday seasons.

💡 Major Korean Festivals

설날 (Seollal – Lunar New Year)
Celebrated at the beginning of the lunar calendar year, families gather to perform ancestral rites and play folk games like yutnori.

추석 (Chuseok – Korean Harvest Festival)
A major holiday where families honor ancestors and share songpyeon (half-moon rice cakes). It’s similar to Thanksgiving in other cultures.

단오 (Dano Festival)
Held in early summer, known for traditional hair-washing rituals with sweet flag water and Korean swing rides.

정월대보름 (Jeongwol Daeboreum – First Full Moon Festival)
People crack nuts to protect their teeth and eat ogokbap (five-grain rice) for health and luck.

📖 Useful Vocabulary and Expressions

명절 (Holiday) – Traditional holiday or festival

조상 (Ancestor) – Forefather; often mentioned during ancestral rites

성묘하다 (To visit ancestral graves) – A common activity during Seollal and Chuseok

전통 음식 (Traditional food) – Examples include songpyeon, tteokguk, and jeon

가족 모임 (Family gathering) – Central aspect of Korean festivals

Example sentence:
추석에는 가족과 함께 모여 성묘하고 전통 음식을 먹어요.
During Chuseok, we gather with family to visit ancestors and eat traditional foods.

🗣 Practice Dialogue

A: 한국의 명절 중에 가장 큰 명절은 뭐예요?
Hanguk-ui myeongjeol jung-e gajang keun myeongjeol-eun mwoyeyo?
What is the biggest festival in Korea?

B: 설날과 추석이에요. 가족들이 모여서 전통 음식을 먹고 세배를 해요.
Seollal-gwa Chuseog-ieyo. Gajok-deuri moyeoseo jeontong eumsig-eul meokgo sebae-reul haeyo.
It’s Seollal and Chuseok. Families gather, eat traditional food, and perform New Year’s bows.

🧩 Quick Check: How would you describe Chuseok to someone who has never celebrated it before?

🌏 Did You Know?

Korean festivals often follow the lunar calendar, meaning dates change every year. For example, Chuseok typically falls in September or October, while Seollal is usually in January or February.

📦 Final Thoughts

Understanding Korean festivals helps you connect deeply with local traditions and people. By learning key vocabulary and customs, you can fully enjoy these celebrations during your stay in Korea or when talking with Korean friends.

Immerse yourself in these traditions, and you’ll not only enhance your language skills but also appreciate Korea’s rich cultural heritage in everyday life.

🔗 Related Posts

Korean Proverbs and Their Everyday Use
Discover proverbs often used during family gatherings and holidays.
Korean Transportation Phrases for Everyday Use
Essential vocabulary for buses and subways when traveling during holidays.
Describing Your House or Room
Learn to describe living spaces where family gatherings happen during holidays.
Korean Listening Strategies: From Beginner to Native Speed
Understand formal writing skills often used for holiday greetings at work.

🎓 Want to practice talking about Korean festivals in real conversations?
Book a 1:1 class on italki and get personalized guidance for cultural expressions.

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