Cycle 4 – Item 117
2 (Thu) May 2013
Jesa Spread
3.5
by Mom
at my parents’ home
-Geumgok, Bundang, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-
with the Family, Mom + Dad, various paternal-side relatives, including KW
For posterity, I photographed the jesa ritual itself, including the foods as they appear on the offering table before being redistributed for consumption by the family.
Food items included apples + pears + melons + chestnuts + jujubes + spinach namul + gosari namul + doraji namul + baek kimchi + hobak jeon + pan-fried dubu + fish jeon + bindae jeon + pan-fried yellow croaker + bulgogi + muu guk + rice cakes + rice + sujeonggwa + sikhye.
The spread is much more varied and extravagant in its full form, but we have a small family, less people to eat the food afterwards, so we keep it relatively simple, though we do try to respect the ritual’s essence.
My cousin KW, who lives in New York, happens to be in town on business, so he had a rare opportunity to join the ritual. Upon landing at 4PM this afternoon, he hopped on a bus from the airport and headed straight over to my parents’ home so that he could participate, a first for him. What a guy
When my father complained that I was being disruptive by taking photos, I explained: “I’ll need accurate visual records to help me set up when I’m celebrating your death someday.”
In addition to 2 bowls of rice sets for my grandparents, a 3rd is laid out for my grandfather’s first wife, who tragically died right after they were married. My grandmother, my grandfather’s second wife, insisted on the additional setting lest her predecessor get angry and wreak havoc.
(See also BOOZE)
(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)
