Ah love! Along with happiness, love has been the never-ending quest as long as there have been humans. Well, that and territorial expansion I guess...
Koreans are all about love. In America, V-Day (Gosh it sounds like a STD...) is a one day thing where you show your love to the dear ones - be it your lover, your family or close friends.
But in Korea, "love day" has a gender. As it turns out, Valentine's Day occurs four times a year:
1. Pepero Day: big commercial scam during which everyone can get chocolate, just like Valentine's day back home. Usually that's when students give their teacher Peperos to show their love. Lotte is the company making everything in Korea (even hotels!), including Peperos - which are stick biscuits wrapped in chocolate. It's on November 11 (11/11), just like 4 Pepero sticks.
2. Valentine's Day: Only girls/women are allowed to give the boy/man they like or love some chocolate (or something significant). February 14th.
3. White Day: boys/men who got something on Valentine's Day give the girl/woman something in return. March 14th.
4. Black Day: those who did not get anything (men and women) celebrate this day by going to the restaurant and eating black noodles. While it sounds depressing, it's a good way to meet single people ("oh she's having black noodles...' ;) April 14th.
Being a true Canadian who wants to spread the love, I brought chocolates to work today. Oh and not anything; they're a perfect replica of Ferrero Rocher (see pic... don't they look the same!?) but they're called "Free Romance" hehe
Anyway, our staff is quite small so I told Miss. Lee, Bill and Mr. Lee to help themselves. Miss Lee was quite shocked. She looked at me and said "Actually, this is just for Bill and Mr. Lee. Only men receive chocolate on Valentine's Day!"Miss Lee is in her early thrities, very liberal, she just spent 2 weeks in India by herself... if that kind of tradition is so deeply ingrained in her, don't try to argue!
My kids brought me all sorts of chocolate, which I shared with them (oh their eyes were wide open!! :) Usually students bring their teacher peperos on pepero day but white day works for me!!
So to everyone out there, 즐거운 발레타인되세오, Happy Valentine's Day!! Love love love, kiss kiss kiss!
