By Kim Heung-sook ``Chuseok" is usually translated into autumnal full moon day, but literally it is the sunset of autumn. Sunset comes daily to put our minds at rest at the end of a hectic day. Without even knowing why, people become meditative at that time of day and look beautiful under the setting sun. Sunset, like good friends, draws the best out of us. Chuseok is the culmination of all sunsets. Unlike the daily sunset that disappears quickly, Chuseok is a sunset that lasts for a few days. For farmers, Chuseok begins when they pick the red peppers and apples. For city dwellers, the day sets in their hearts as they stand in line to buy the tickets for their homebound trips. Housewives feel the Chuseok spirit as they prepare "songpyeon," the half-moon shaped rice cake, and other special dishes for ancestral worship. Valentine's Day is for lovers and chocolate dealers, and Buddha's Birthday is for the Buddhists, but Chuseok is for everybody, as any sunset is. Chuseok makes you thoughtful and happy and at the same time you are compelled to think of death as you visit tombs or join in family rites, while rejoicing at the good harvest, which we Koreans have traditionally believed can be achieved by the efforts of both dead and living humans, and nature's supports. In a word, Chuseok is a day one is reminded of the universal human conditions and revives affection and sympathy for all fellow human beings. That's why it is a day of sharing. You don't eat songpyeon alone but with others _ preferably those who would feel lonelier as the holidays are usually very long. If you're not sure who you should share your songpyeon with, turn to people who have their hometowns outside this country and senior citizens, among others. In this part of the world, international marriages have become an inevitable fad and one out of eight new marriages is international. There must be tens of thousand of foreign born residents for whom the full moon on Chuseok only fosters longing for loved ones at homes faraway. In farming areas such as South Jeolla Province, interracial couples account for 25 percent of the newly-weds and Chuseok may see the largest number of sad brides in the most fertile land where the Chuseok spirit should be most jubilant. So, when you choose presents for your family and relatives in the countryside, don't forget the new members of their community whether they are from China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Mongolia, Russia or any other country. Another group of people who need special attention is the senior citizens, particularly those suffering from Alzheimer's disease. In this age of cherishing youth, elderly people are often forgotten on the very day when they should be most warmly cared for. One important segment of Chuseok celebration is paying a visit to ancestral tombs, but if you have to choose between your dead father and ailing mother, you better go see her than bowing to your father's remains. Yesterday was World Alzheimer's Day but everyday should be the day for the disease sufferers. For foreigners living in Korea, it would be nice if they can find a Korean friend or family with whom they can appreciate the Chuseok spirit together. Some Koreans are reluctant to invite foreign friends to their homes, though, because of shyness or because they already have enough trouble meeting their own family and relatives after a long while. So, be understanding when you are not invited and feel free to celebrate Chuseok on your own. You can find quite some programs offering delicious amusement and special events organized by various foreigner-friendly institutions on www.seoulselection.com. I don't particularly recommend this, but if you really want to be alone on Chuseok and still enjoy its spirit, you can do that, too. Buy a pack of songpyeon at the nearest rice cake shop and go to a cemetery. Seosamreung, a home to a number of royal tombs, is a good option. You can go there by taking subway No. 3 orange line. Get off at Samsong Station and use exit No. 5. Then take No. 1 ``maeul" bus just outside. Sit near a tomb, look up the blue sky and eat songpyeon, thinking about death that will embrace you at the end of your exhausting life. After all, Chuseok is all about songpyeon and a brush with death. At night, don't forget to bathe in the moonlight and make a wish. Happy Chuseok, everyone! kimsook@hotmail.com