We live in Korea. Read about it.

Today is 11/11, also known as Pepero Day.



Here is the explanation of what Pepero is and why pepero day is celebrated, courtesy of Wikipedia.

"Pepero (빼빼로) is a cookie stick, dipped in chocolate syrup, manufactured by Lotte in South Korea since 1983, and is similar to the Japanese chocolate-covered snack food, Pocky."

Pepero Day is an observance in South Korea similar to Valentine's Day or Sweetest Day. It is named after the Korean snack Pepero and held on November 11, since the date "11/11" resembles five sticks of Pepero. The holiday is observed mostly by young people and couples, who exchange Pepero sticks, other candies, and romantic gifts.

"According to one story, Pepero Day was started in 1994 by students at a girls' middle school in Busan, where they exchanged Pepero sticks as gifts to wish one another to grow "as tall and slender as a Pepero"[citation needed] (Pepero means "thin like a stick"). However, it is more likely it was initiated by Lotte, the company which produces Pepero." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepero)



(This is a Pepero display in the grocery store.)

I love that explanation..."more likely it [the holiday] was initiated by Lotte, the company which produces Pepero." You would think that people would realize it was just a marketing scam, but they don't seem to care.

Yesterday and today, my desk was piled high with gifts of Pepero from my students. I have to admit, I actually love the candy, particularly the green box, which is almond. Yesterday, I dipped one of the Pepero sticks in my coffee, which tasted fabulous, but my students thought it was the grossest thing they've ever seen for some reason that I do not understand.


Living abroad is especially amusing on days like today when you celebrate holidays that you had never even heard of just 2 weeks prior.