Have you ever heard of Pepero Day in Korea? You may have encountered this Korean snack, but there’s actually a day to celebrate this in South Korea. This day also happens to be the biggest shopping day globally because of Singles’ Day, which China popularized.
While the rest of the world is celebrating single people and shopping, Koreans like to celebrate Pepero Day (빼빼로 데이 in Korean) on November 11th.
Here’s a downloadable PDF if you want to read about Pepero Day whenever you prefer:
What is Pepero Day?
Pepero Day in South Korea is an annual tradition that can be likened to Valentine’s Day. It is usually celebrated among couples, and delicious food in a Korean restaurant, candy, or chocolatey treats are exchanged.
On this day, however, people are specifically exchanging Pepero. Although Valentine’s Day is also celebrated in South Korea, Pepero and its holiday is an equally beloved holiday to enjoy.
When is Pepero Day in Korea?
This holiday is annually celebrated on November 11th. This isn’t just a random date, as November 11 was chosen specifically because 11/11 looks like Pepero sticks!
Along with that is the idea that to become tall and thin like the thin Pepero stick, 11 packets of Pepero must be eaten on November 11, at 11:11 am and 11:11 pm, in exactly 11 seconds. There’s nothing to lose if you’ll give it a try!
Another fun fact is that Korean rice cake day or Garaetteok day (Farmer’s Day) in Korea is also celebrated on November 11th every year.
Is Pepero Day Single Day?
Pepero Day is an unofficial holiday that everyone can celebrate in Korea, regardless of one’s relationship status. Coincidentally, Pepero Day is celebrated on the same day as Singles’ Day in China. However, these are not the same holidays and are also celebrated differently. Singles’ Day or 11/11 Day in China is a day dedicated to shopping for people not in a relationship or singles.
What is Pepero?
Pepero is a Korean food snack was manufactured by Lotte Confectionery Corporation in Korea. Besides the original Pepero, which is the milk chocolate flavor, many other flavors have also emerged for these biscuit sticks, and each new year another one seems to pop up.
What do Pepero sticks look like?
Peperos are tall and thin biscuit-like sticks with the outer layer covered in chocolate. The opposite end of a Pepero stick is left exposed and not coated with chocolate so that the person eating it may easily handle it. A box of Pepero contains 10 sticks.
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Pepero Flavors
Some popular Pepero flavors are the following: Pepero almond, green tea, cookies & cream, white chocolate, and dark chocolate. If you prefer other Pepero flavors, they also have mint chocolate, blueberry yogurt, Yakult yoghurt, and strawberry almond. Even different flavors like peanut butter, tiramisu cheese, and cheddar cheese exist for Pepero now!
Not all pepero sticks are coated with chocolate or some other flavor. Some peperos have chocolate filling instead of a coating, some have two different coating flavors, and other peperos are “super-sized.” Shortly put, there is a pepero to love for everyone in the world!
Pepero vs Pocky
As described above, a Pepero is a famous snack in Korea which is a tall and thin cookie stick dipped in chocolate. If you already have a picture in mind, it won’t be difficult to imagine what a Pocky looks like. You can definitely notice the resemblance between Pepero and Pocky as they are identical cookie stick treats.
Where is Pocky from?
Both Pepero and Pocky may look similar, but Pocky is made in Japan.
Pocky rose to fame in Japan in 1966 as a “snack with a handle” produced by the company Ezaki Glico. It can be considered as Pepero’s foreign relative from Japan. Pocky was invented before Pepero, so one could raise whether Pepero is a copy of Pocky.
Similarly, Pepero Day was the first to become a commercial holiday to celebrate, and Pocky Day became a holiday on the same day in Japan a little later.
What is Pocky Day?
There is also an incredibly similar holiday in Japan called Pocky Day. This is also often called Pocky and Pretz Day, with Pretz being the savory counterpart of Pocky.
On this day, annual sales for Pocky would surge as there are plenty of Pocky-related activities and marketing strategies put in place. Japanese people would also give Pocky to their loved ones as a gift to show their appreciation.
When is Pocky Day?
The Pocky is celebrated on November 11th, the same day as Pepero Day.
To sum it up, November 11th is a day of many celebrations! There’s the national Pocky Day in Japan, Pepero Day in Korea, and Singles Day in China.
What is the history of Pepero Day in South Korea?
The exact origins of this celebration in Korea and how it started are not entirely known. One theory is that this holiday in Korea is celebrated on November 11th because of the appearance of a Pepero stick, looking like number 1.
Another is that it was popularized by two Korean middle school students, specifically, middle school girls who exchanged Pepero sticks with each other. They did so in hopes of becoming tall and thin. Pepero sticks resemble these descriptions, after all.
The aforementioned school story is how Lotte Corporation, the manufacturer of Pepero in Korea, began advertising Pepero Day in 1997. And successfully so, as from 2012 onward they make 50% of their whole year’s pepero sales on this day!
If you want to follow the possible origin story and celebrate the holiday yourself, then you ought to eat 11 boxes of pepero on that day!
How is Pepero Day in Korea celebrated?
In observance of Pepero Day in Korea, people celebrate it by giving Pepero boxes as gifts every November 11th. Think of it as Valentine’s Day for everyone! They are typically exchanged between couples, but people can generally give them to people they love, like their friends, co-workers, or family members, as a symbol of their affection.
The price won’t be a concern since it’s such a cheap Korean food that the barrier to purchasing Pepero boxes for someone is low, even outside of the circle of loved ones.
Pepero Day gift ideas
Apart from exchanging boxes of these chocolate-covered snacks with your friends and loved ones, there are other ways of giving gifts for this holiday. This is especially common among couples. Instead of buying a regular box of Pepero for each other, many will purchase other things, like special gift baskets on sale during this holiday.
Photo credit: https://wanderingon.com/
Pepero-inspired items
It’s very easy to find a place that sells Pepero, like department stores or convenience stores, especially during this holiday. If you want to set yourself apart, you can give something apart from the actual Pepero snack. Some people are also extra creative and even prepare a DIY Pepero by hand!
You can also find Pepero cushions to give as gifts, among other varieties of gifts that are appropriate to give each other on this day. If you are in Korea, you may even expect to receive coupons you can use to purchase boxes of Pepero from your friends on Kakaotalk.
Money Pepero
But what if your loved one doesn’t like sweets? The perfect solution for that is the 돈 빼빼로 (donppaeppaero)! This is a popular gift idea that was inspired by the Pepero snack. You need to roll up some paper bills to make it look like Pepero sticks. Then put these rolled-up bills in a rectangular box similar to that of a Pepero’s. The finished product would then be the “Money Pepero.”
A Pepero for yourself
While it’s fun to have someone to exchange or give gifts to, like your friends or family members, it’s also nice to give one to yourself! Treat yourself to tons of delicious Pepero, in various flavors, from nude pepero to double-coated ones.
Photo credit: https://koreansnackbox.com/
Or, if you want, perhaps find a Korean to treat to Pepero on November 11th to have a feel of one of Korea’s traditions! It doesn’t have to be a Valentine’s Day-like exchange, just a show of appreciation or friendship.
How do you say “Happy Pepero Day” in Korean?
If you want to greet someone with “Happy Pepero Day,” you can say it as 빼빼로데이 축하해요! (ppaeppaerodei chukahaeyo!) in Korean. Pepero Day is a celebration; thus, it’s just right to greet one another on this special day. You can also write this down on a note that comes with your Pepero gift. You can practice start learning the Korean alphabet and eventually practice writing in Hangeul to make your note more special.
If you’d like to express your appreciation in Korean better during this day, learning the Korean language will help a lot. Start with the basics and work your way up through our structured online courses. You’ll be surprised at how well you can speak Korean in just 90 days!
What is the Pepero Game?
Another fun way to enjoy your Pepero is through the Pepero game. This game is played in pairs where each pair need to eat a Pepero together, biting it off from each end. The pair with the shortest piece left wins.
If you’re having a hard time imagining how it is played, think of the scene with the spaghetti in the movie Lady and the Tramp. This game is also often played in Korean variety shows. You might have also seen this portrayed in some Korean movies or dramas.
Have you ever tried eating Pepero? Now that you know all about this delicious cookie stick snack in the country and also about how to celebrate its holiday on November 11th, you’re all prepared for when the day arrives! Are you excited to also experience your first Pepero Day?
This fun part of the Korean culture is something to look forward to! Which pepero flavor do you intend to try first once you’re in Korea? You may also want to know about the other unique holidays in Korea like White Day and Black Day next!
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