The one about Valentine's Day

When I was eight, my classmates drew names for Valentine's and then decorated a cupcake and made an acrostic out of the person's name.  A kid called Justin (I think?) got me and used the "I" in my name to write "I like her a lot," which we both got teased about. 

Korea is the mother of cute.  Really.  Everything is ribbons, pink, hellokitty, skirts, dresses, heels, kpop, cursive all-year-long.  Couples wear matching outfits -- shirts, pants, shoes, coats, hats, all-year-long.  (As my friend Lauren asked: When/how do they have that talk?  Is it around the three month mark?  Are the guys into it?) 

My wardrobe has not been immune to the cute.  Pink is now all over my wardrobe, I have floral headbands, multiple hair ties with flowers, little bow hair clips, etc.  But I digress.

Valentine's Day in Korea, is the first in a three month celebration of love/singleness.  February 14, March 14, and April 14 are all holidays that revolve around the subject.  February is for girls to give to guys, March (White Day) is for guys to give to girls, and April (Black Day) is for singles to get together and eat black noodles. 

Apparently Valentine's Day is about chocolate and White Day is about candy.  Two of my Korean friends have told me they have made chocolate for boyfriends on past Valentine's Days.  It feels much less inyourface here -- I haven't seen any flower/chocolate deliveries to the school, and definitely don't feel the advertising in the same way. 

Chocolate companies do make specialized chocolate bars like in the States, though.  Here's one I got: 

I'm pretty sure there's no good way to interpret "Calorie Down" written on each block of chocolate.  The bar itself was wrapped in a pink HelloKitty valentine wrapper, so these weren't meant as weight loss treats.

**

I like holidays.  I like traditions.  I like that they add and remind us of the meaning in our lives.  I like that New Years is about growth, Valentine's Day is about love, Easter is about hope, Independence Day is about patriotism, Thanksgiving is about gratitude, Christmas is about Love.  Birthdays and mother/father, etc. days are about celebrating lives of individuals.  They are all about community, celebration, appreciation; and they allow us to give and receive and be cheesy.

 
That said, I do think that turning romantic events (V-day, proposals, asking someone to prom, etc.) into crazy huge pressure competitions is usettling and sad.  Kudos to the guys and girls who go all out because they are genuinely intense romantic people.  (Though they make everyone else look bad.)

An especial kudos to the gentleman who thought it would be a good idea to tie the ring to a helium filled balloon when proposing:   

  And the dude who knocked his girlfriend out:

And of course, the following viral proposal is fabulous:

Alright, and here's some real romance.  If you haven't watched the movie, you're cutting corners. 

Happy Valentine's Day!  :)

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Day 13 – White Day

Wednesday was White Day, a holiday name which probably wouldn't fly in the States, but is alive and kicking in Korea.  White day is a day to celebrate love. According to Young Rak, it's called White Day because the candies you traditionally give are white. Wikipedia (sort of) backs him up on this – apparently White Day was originally marketed around marshmellow giving (I can't make this stuff up).

Basically White Day is celebrated because Valentine's Day in Korea is not a day of mutual giving – it's a celebration in which women give (traditionally) chocolate to men.  Therefore, a month later (March 14) it is time for the women to receive (traditionally) candy in return. Naturally the gift giving has escalated and many couples give more expensive gifts to each other (a la Valentine's Day in the States).

Here's the kicker: April 14, a month after White Day, is Black Day wherein all the people who were excluded from V-Day and White Day get to have their day. Yes, Black Day is a celebration for single people in which they get together, wear dark clothing, and eat noodles with black bean sauce.

So, essentially, what takes one day in America – man gives gifts, woman gives gifts, single people have their own S.A.D. parties – takes three months in Korea.  Well why not? Teachers score in any case – I received various candies from my students even though I'd only been working a week.

Gentlemen: the best way to navigate dating in Korea is to break up a couple of weeks after Valentine's Day, avoid White Day, and join your fellow singletons on Black Day.

Ladies: your best path would be to get together after Valentine's Day, receive your White Day gifts, and break up in time for Black Day.

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