This week on Jeju: A to Z, Todd Thacker takes a brief look at a Chuseok traditional of tending to family graves called beolcho.

There’s a Korean proverb that states: A farmer in May is a philosopher in August. This implies that once the harvest is in, farmers are able to relax for the first time that season. They can spend time with their families and tend to ancestral rituals.

The major Korean holiday of Chuseok is just around the corner and preparations are in high gear. One traditional task related to this seasonal custom is the tidying of family graves, or beolcho.

[Slug CG] Beolcho ritual held prior to Chuseok, which this year falls on Sept. 13.

Beolcho is traditionally observed from the 1st day of the eighth lunar month through to the day before Chuseok. This year that falls on August 30th and September 13th, respectively, though many family schedules demand that they begin a bit earlier.

At this time of year in rural Jeju, you’re likely to see families hard at work tending earthen mounds covered with grass and surrounded by a low stone wall.

[Slug CG] Tending to rural family graves is arduous, pulling weeds and cutting grass

The weather is still rather warm during the day, so conditions are not for the faint of heart. It’s often difficult just to get to a grave site located on the side of a volcanic cone or in a forested area. Then there is the manual labor, cutting the grass and pulling weeds by hand.

[Slug CG] Small ceremony acknowledges sacrifices of elders

All this is in preparation for a ceremony to honor their cherished ancestors, which include family bows and the ritual offering of food and drink to acknowledge the sacrifices of one’s parents and elders.

[Slug CG] Todd Thacker

Jeju islanders are known for being especially serious about carrying out their beolcho duties. Long ago, living conditions were very harsh, and thus everyone had to band together to survive. This made such rituals all the more important.

So, though Jeju is much more comfortable than it once was, it is heartwarming to see families ? and the community at large ? come together to honor their loved ones and their hard-won traditions.

Todd Thacker KCTV