After sunset, a Maya priest arrives to say prayers, encouraging the souls of ancestors to visit and join in the festivities.
It is a day when people pay tribute to their ancestors by visiting their graves, and the ritual always begins with some proper cleaning.
"He dreamed that his ancestors tried to visit him there.
Asian families often leave food for ancestors when they visit cemeteries, which proves to be troublesome for cemetery maintenance staff, who have to remove the food and plastic containers fast, before savvy racoons discover the accidental feast.
Relatives can then visit their ancestors at the shared plots or at various columbaria.
They want to take care of the souls of their ancestors but cannot frequently visit their loved ones' distant graves in the mountains of China or even among the woods in upstate New York.
If one has ancestors from Great Britain, a visit to the friendly office of the genealogists society can put a very personal imprint on a trip to London.
"We have to go through Georgia Gulf security gates to visit our ancestors, and we're required to give the company two days notice before a burial," she said.
One month prior to the Chuseok, the families visit their ancestors' graves to clean the weeds, a practice which is called Beolcho, often causing congestion in Korea's highways.
