DPRK people celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival

People in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)?standing together for a portrait next to family member's grave at a cemetery as they observe Chuseok, in Pyongyang, Sept 19, 2013. [Photo/IC]

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PYONGYANG - People of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday celebrated the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, or Chuseok, by sweeping their ancestors' tombs and having picnics with their families.

The Mid-Autumn Day, also called "Han Ga Yu" on the Korean Peninsula, is a traditional festival observed on the 15th day of the eighth month in lunar calendar in many parts of the world.

The day, which falls on Sept 8 this year, is one of the most significant festivals on the peninsula and offers a glimpse of traditional customs and cultures of the Korean nation.

On this day, the first thing to do for the DPRK people is to visit the graves of their forefathers. In the capital city of Pyongyang, citizens usually get well dressed in traditional Chosun apparel and go out to clean the tombs of their deceased family members before holding memorial services.

After paying tribute to their ancestors and offering a sacrifice with dishes made of fresh crops, they would start enjoying a pleasant time, usually sharing delicious food with families on the lawn along the Botong River and Daetong Rivers, two of the largest rivers in Pyongyang.

At noon near the Botong River, hundreds of thousands of households seated themselves on the grass in circles, chatting and relishing specially made dishes like a traditional sweet dessert called Songpyeon, which is made of flour.

By tradition the families each brought an urn containing ashes of their ancestors so as to let the deceased witness the happy life their offspring are living now.

In addition, a variety of folk games including Korean-style wrestling, tug of war, archery and swing are played during the festival. At night, the DPRK people also spend time appreciating the full moon just as people in the rest of the world would do on this day.