Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
📖

Chilseok

language culture Maturity 5-7 Next article →

Chilseok is a traditional Korean festival. It happens on the seventh day of the seventh month. This date comes from the Korean lunisolar calendar.

The festival marks a change in the weather. The summer heat begins to fade away. At the same time, the wet season starts. Rain that falls during this time is called Chilseok water.

A romantic story explains why this day is special. It is the tale of Jiknyeo and Gyeonu. Jiknyeo was a weaver and the daughter of a king. Gyeonu was a herder of cows and sheep. They fell in love across the Milky Way. The king made them live apart as a punishment. Now they can only meet once every year.

On the seventh day of the seventh month, the lovers try to meet. They cannot cross the wide Milky Way by themselves. Crows and magpies work together to help them. The birds form a bridge across the stars. This allows the couple to see each other. Some say birds have no feathers on their heads now. This is because the couple stepped on them.

People follow many customs to celebrate Chilseok. Many people take baths to stay in good health. It is also a time to eat wheat foods. People eat wheat noodles and grilled wheat cakes. They might also eat miljeonbyeong, which are wheat pancakes. Another food is sirutteok, a steamed rice cake with azuki beans.

Chilseok is a very important time for wheat lovers. It is the last chance to enjoy the taste of wheat. Cold winds arrive after Chilseok passes. These winds ruin the scent of the wheat. People also look at the sky to see the weather. If it rains, people think of the lovers. They believe the rain is actually the couple's tears.

296 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.