Actually, it is a privilege!

      

      "There is always something we can learn from tradition"

This is what my parents always say (that I cannot totally agree) whenever I complain about conservative, patriarchal tradition of Korean holiday, Chuseok and New years day. Every time I go to grandfather's house in Korean holiday, I feel disgust to see scene that shows radical patriarchal tradition of Korea. Only women work in kitchen as soon as they arrive in grandfather's house, and men watch TV in living room, seems not to even 'consider' helping women. However, women are the last to eat meal since they are allowed to eat after they finish cleaning a kitchen and has to set the men's table first. The difficulty that women go through when they eat does not end here. Since men use much larger table for eating even though they are fewer than women, women have to eat in a small table in a huddle. Though they ache in joints because of intense labor in a kitchen, they can't even stretch their legs comfortably when they eat. Foods that are on table of women and men are slightly different as well. Well-made food, such as Jeon, fried dishes are on men's plates, most of beef of beef soup are in men's bowl, and a meat dishes are mostly men's. Though women are the ones who cook all the holiday food and prepare for memorial service, they are banned to bow in the ceremony. While all the men, including 7-years-boy are invited to the ceremony, women are banned to get out from a small room and go to living room, a place where ceremony is held. Not only that, women are not allowed to pay respect at ancestor's graves either.

-Picture of Jeon, Korean traditional food

Women have to make this 'a lot' every Korean holiday.

     

     I was angry and even feel disgust every time I experience this in Korean holiday. However, I came to think of reversal about this 'awkward' tradition. I thought it is actually a privilege to be 'separated' from men in Chuseok since I don't have to hear never-ending political debates (that seem to be done only for knowledge boasting), easily avoid them asking my school life making an excuse to cook, and don't have to attend ancestral rites that I really want to avoid because of a religious reason. Moreover, I can spend more time and have a deep talk with my mom while we handle and cook food and wash dishes.
      Just because I don't feel bad about Chuseok than before as I learned a way to reversal about the patriarchal tradition doesn't mean I think this doesn't have to be changed. Though the genuine purposes and extra effects of Chuseok and New Year's Day are good, the anachronisms need to be changed, and for this, 'men' should be the ones who acknowledge the problems and try to fix them. Though I, who is only a student, don't have power within our family to bring up these issues now, I wish I could be an influential person and point out the problem in the future.