Relationships and love are not taken lightly in South Korea. There are actually 20 holidays, throughout the year, devoted completely to celebrating one's affections for family and friends.
Today, November 11th, is one of these special days, known as Pepero Day! Pepero is a long, thin crunchy wafer half dipped in chocolate. Pepero day revolves around the exchanging and eating of these Pepero sticks with as many family, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, and acquaintances who are willing to accept your offering. This practice is extremely popular with children! Here are 3 of my 1st graders offering me Pepero after English class about an hour ago! (Lily, Hannah, and Jessica)
The date of November 11 was chosen because when written as 11/11, it resembles four, long Pepero sticks. The legend is that Pepero Day began in Busan when some middle school girls started exchanging the snack with the wish that they would become "as tall and slender as a Pepero." I'm not sure why they thought eating cookies covered in chocolate would make them slender, but whatever! I'm glad they started doing it, because now I have a desk full of these delicious little treats!
Happy Pepero Day!
pepero day was actually a marketing scheme that Lotte started to sell more pepero...but I like the middle school girls theory better!
ReplyDeleteIt's hasn't been proven Osteen! But I guess my middle school story hasn't been proven either! Regardless, pepero is delish!
ReplyDelete