Jesa

Each year, as autumn arrives, the Hwang relatives gather at Seonsan for Bulcho, the cutting of weeds around our family graves, and Jesa, the rite of revering our ancestors. Glossy red apples, persimmons, and jujubes are arranged along the leftmost edge of the table; on the other side, white pears and chestnuts rest in careful order. It is one part of a ritual carried out for centuries.

As one of Korea's older households, the Hwang family honors its heritage by offering food and bowing twice in quiet reverence. After many years of watching the preparations from the edges, I was finally able to photograph the long-standing tradition my own family has carried.