White Day

Following in the steps of Hallmark, Korea has added "holidays" to the calendar for almost every month. Some are mostly ignored (Ace Cracker Day, for example, where people give Ace Crackers to each other) whereas others (Pepero Day, where people give sticks of Pepero - basically, a stick cookie dipped in chocolate) are celebrated widely. Last fall, I saw a bakery that had dipped loaves of French bread in chocolate to make it look like enormous sticks of Pepero.

Today is White Day,which is in Korea is celebrated by men giving women presents/candy, to trade off for Valentine's Day, which is usually when women give men candy/presents. April 14th is Black Day, where single folks get together to eat noodles in black bean sauce. Though I have to admit that every time I hear "black day" I think of the Morrissy line, "I wear black on the outside because black is how I feel on the inside" (and you thought I outgrew that goth phase - HAHAHA).

Anyway.

All of this to say, looking at the candy displays in the stores makes me laugh - while women give men chocolate on Valentine's Day, it seems like men give women suckers and lollypops. Paging Dr. Freud.

Also, I have kids giving me lots and lots of candy today. Let's see if they recognize the fact that I'm recycling it once I need to bribe them into compliance.