♥Pepero Day♥: The Importance of November 11th
- Moses Cho
- Nov 13, 2015
- 3 min read
The AU Korean Student Association (KSA) hosted their Pepero Day event in front of MGC this past Wednesday, November 11. Students had a chance to purchase Pepero and talk with other friends to enjoy the special day. But what is so special about November 11th? Why did the KSA host this event? Is Pepero Day even real? This post will focus on the history of Pepero Day in Korea as well as November 11 as a special day in China, Japan and the United States.
There are special days that people celebrate and consider as public holidays even though they aren’t officially recognized as national holidays by law. A common example is Valentine’s Day, when people around the world celebrate by giving chocolate to their loved ones. In Korea, November 11, Pepero Day, has a similar role to Valentine’s Day. The date of November 11 resembles four aligned peperos (11/11), and so became Pepero Day.
The origin of Pepero Day can get a bit more complicated. In 1983, Lotte Confectionery first released the chocolate covered snack. Middle school students exchanged Pepero as a gift with the meaning of ‘I hope you become skinnier’, but not in an offensive way. Korean standard of beauty calls for skinny body figures, and Pepe in Pepero sounded similar to Korean word for “skinny or thin.” The words around was that one has to eat Pepero exactly on November 11, at 11:11:11 in order to become skinnier. Although this initially started as a small joke, it was somehow published on the local newspaper, then spread all over the nation. Lotte company actively utilized this superstition in their marketing strategies. Eventually, Pepero Day became a popular trend in South Korea.
Now, Pepero Day is a special holiday for the couples and close friends. It gives people a chance to show their affection for their loved ones; they don’t have to wait until February to confess their love. Some say that the size of the Pepero given on this day represents how much the person loves the other person. Remember, the bigger the Pepero, the more you love them. But as mentioned earlier, Pepero Day isn’t just for couples. Friends can also casually give Peperos to show how much they appreciate each other. Since there is no particular Thanksgiving Day in Korea, Pepero Day can serve as a special day to show appreciation to friends, teachers, and family.
Japan’s November 11 is similar to Korea’s. The Ezaki Glico Company, which produces snacks similar to pepero, saw Pepero Day’s huge success and the day as Pocky and Pretz Day. They gave out prize and used similar marketing strategies as Lotte.
In China, November 11 is a singles’ day. It is a day to celebrate a single status as four number ones are in the date of November 11. People have dinner together with their friends, but they must pay for their own food to show their independence. Some people even write cards to their single friends, wishing them to find a companion soon. Most importantly, November 11 is when online shops in China have a massive sale similar to Black Friday sales in the US. In 2009, Alibaba started to promote huge discounts among their retail items on November 11 and continued this tradition in the years after.
On a slightly different note, November 11 in the United States is Veterans Day; also a very special day, but not like in Korea, Japan, or China. On November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day, a day set to honor veterans of World War I. On June 1, 1954, with the approval of legislation, November 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars. Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The observance of Veterans Day is a celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
Although the intentions may be a bit different, November 11 is a special day in Korea, Japan, China, and United States. No matter which country we are from, November 11 seems to be a good day to celebrate and appreciate oneself, friends, and family.
For more information, check these sites out!
Commentaires