Many S. Koreans stressed out by Chuseok holiday

Arirang News 2018-09-23

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Chuseok is a chance to spend time with family, but it can be stressful for some people.
a chance to catch up with families and relatives, but it can also be a source of stress.
Young people are nagged by parents, aunts and uncles about getting married.
Many women find themselves stuck in the kitchen all day.
And that's just the start.
Our Lee Minsun spoke with some people in Seoul's Gangnam district and at a local university about what stresses them out this time of year. Chuseok is typically about family gatherings, extravagant feasts and long days off.
But not all Koreans are excited about the long Chuseok holidays. Rather they are worried about so-called 'holiday stress'.

"Since I started college, my relatives have been asking me a lot about my future path. It's mentally exhausting."

"My wife and I often argue about how to spend the holiday because we have different expectations."

"I get stressed about making time to perform the ancestral rituals at my older brother's house."

"Preparing Chuseok gifts and deciding which relatives to visit first is stressful."

"There's definitely awkward moments because there's generational divide and we don't see each other that often. Hence, we don't necessarily see eye to eye on everything."

A recent survey done ahead of Chuseok shows people are stressed over preparation for Chuseok and meeting relatives. Reasons for stress also varied by marital status.

Most single people hated listening to their parents and relatives nagging them about their career or marriage plans. The extra holiday expenses and being compared to other relatives at the family gathering ranked second and third.

Married people were even more worried about spending as they are expected to give a large allowance and prepare gifts for relatives. Second on the list was having to deal with their families in-law. Third was preparing ancestral ritual foods.

Then, why does holiday stress persist despite everyone’s wish for a relaxing Chuseok holiday?
"During the holidays, all the house chores are given to women, and it becomes a problem. Unmarried people get stressed by their parents nagging them about marriage and their life choices because they feel like their right to make their own decisions is violated."

Experts say that the traditional meaning of holidays is changing, and with a growing number of people living alone, a holiday culture centered on meeting one's extended family needs to be reconsidered.

Lee Min Sun, Arirang News.

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