Pepero Day!

So yet another unofficial holiday erupted at school on Friday. It is odd enough to not observe Veteran's Day for the first time in my life, much less have a very different holiday of sorts replace it in Korea.
It is known as Pepero Day. A strictly commercial event that has grown in success since 1983 if you believe what the box says. The date of observation is 11/11 because the candy looks like the number one. Of course this being the year of 11/11/11 it brought even more significance the holiday.
The best way to describe it is as a day where you give pepero to your sweetheart, a friend, or someone you appreciate or admire. That's all. (Good one candy companies) These boxes of pepero were flying off the shelves of any store you walked into. Some would by cases of the stuff. There are many sizes and varieties of pepero. For example I have what is called naked pepero which is a biscuit type stick filled with chocolate. I have almond chocolate covered pepero. I have Tonk and I have Flaky and a couple I left at school for the tough days I am sure will be ahead. The central point being almost all have chocolate in them. Who am I to argue with a holiday that involves chocolate? I mean seriously!
It was very kind of the kids to give me some. They munched on it endlessly and by the end of the day Friday I have never seen so many high schoolers hyped up on sugar! These kids are lightweights in the junkfood department and I don't envy the sugar crash they took at some point.
At least now I know why the veteran teachers I asked about pepero day mostly just smiled and nodded at me. You can't really explain it. You just have to witness and participate for yourself. Now that I know what it is, watch out friends next year! I will be a pepero giving machine! Don't get me started on the three different Valentine's Days...that's for February's blog.
So much for weight loss in Korea!