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Friday, April 17, 2015

Quirky Holidays in Korea


Korea created some of their quirky holidays. This holidays maybe "off the calendar" but more and more people observe this holidays and celebrate it with their loved ones and friends.

Did you know that Korea has a number of unofficial couple based holidays and it is celebrated every 14th of the month. Here are the list of the said holidays:


January 14th: Diary Day / Candle Day



Empty diaries are given as gifts among couples and friends. Anniversaries, birthdays, and other special days are recorded in these diaries. Some also celebrate this day as Candle Day and give and receive decorative candles.




February 14th: Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is celebrated in South Korea, but usually women give chocolate to men.


March 14th: White Day

This is when the women reap what they sowed on Valentine’s Day by receiving gifts from men. However, women like to receive chocolate more than candy.
“White Day,” when men are supposed to return the favor at three-times the value of the gift they received back in February. Clever, ladies!

April 14th: Black Day


This day if for single people. It’s a rather depressing day where singles eat a sticky, black-bean paste noodle dish called jjajangmyun and wish they had a love interest. Black coffee and black clothes are also needed. 

Unattached? Grab your single pals and hit the nearest Korean restaurant for some noodles.


May 14th: Yellow Day / Rose Day

On Yellow Day, couples dress in yellow and give each other roses. Singles who didn’t have their fill of lonely-heart noodles on Black Day have the chance to fill up on yellow curry and hope their love life will “spice up.”


June 14th: Kiss Day

This is a good day to confess feelings to a crush and start a new relationship with your lover. Many companies, ranging from lipstick brands to breath mint makers, do their best to capitalize, offering special promotions.
Drama: Coffee Prince


Drama: Secret Garden


Drama: My Love From the Star
July 14th: Silver Day

Couples exchange silver rings and discuss future plans of marriage.


August 14th: Green Day

Couples drink bottles of the alcoholic beverage soju, which  is typically sold in green bottles, and then you’re supposed to go take a walk in the woods.

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September 14th: Photo Day / Music Day

Most days in Korea are photo and music days, but the 14th of September is when it becomes “official” (or as official as an off-the-calendar holiday can get). Portrait studios, gimmick photo booths, and Noraebangs (music rooms) are in high demand.



October 14th: Wine Day

Couples drink a glass (or bottle) of wine over a romantic dinner. Singles drink away their sorrows.



November 14th: Movie Day

Movie theaters are jam-packed on this day as watching a movie is one of the basic courses for Korean couple dating.

December 14th: Hug Day
Hug Day wraps up the year with a firm and gentle squeeze and a sigh of relief. There are many free hug events in Korea on this day.



The quirky holidays didn't stop there. The food industry is also using this opportunity to promote other holidays which benefits companies to make a lot of money.

March 3rd (pronounced “sam-sam” in Korean) as samgyeopsal day, the day to celebrate the delicious thick slabs of Korean bacon. You know how much Korean people love samgyubsal! The number 3 has the same Korean pronunciation as 'sam', so that's why it is celebrated on the 3rd.
May 2nd is designated “Duck Day,” 
May 3rd is “Osan Day,” when you should eat squid and pork, 
June 2nd is a day designated for eating organic products, 
July 5th is Loach Soup Day (I don’t know what that is)
September 9th (pronounced “gu-gu”) is when everyone should eat chicken. 

These latter days don’t enjoy widespread celebration like Ppeppero Day, but this so-called “day marketing” has proven lucrative for local businesses. 

November 11th: Ppeppero Day

named after a snack sold by the Lotte Confectionary Company.
The long cookie sticks, typically dipped in chocolate, share the same shape as the number “1” and thus, have inspired an annual ritual of young lovers and office workers exchanging gift boxes of the candy on Ppeppero Day.






November 11th will remain one of Korea’s quirky “love” holidays, for many years to come..

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