On February 14th, lovers all around the world exchange chocolates and presents. In Singapore, February 14th is also a day when many individuals show their love by sending flowers, cards, and other gifts to their significant ones. Valentine’s Day is observed similarly in Korea, albeit with a little variation in traditions. Valentine’s Day in Korea is more than just exchanging presents or cards with one’s partner; it’s also a day for women to profess their love by delivering chocolates to guys they admire. This custom has resulted in the development of White Day, which takes place on March 14. On this day, men present candy to women they admire as a kind of confession or in exchange for chocolates received on Valentine’s Day.
In Korea, Valentine’s Day and White Day are commercially driven holidays. The most obvious argument is that confectionery producers developed White Day to promote marshmallow sales. Aside from these, there are many other commercial ‘days’ such as Black Day (April 14th), where singles who did not receive chocolates or candies on Valentine’s Day or White Day gather to eat black bean noodles together, Rose Day (May 14th), where people exchange roses, and Pepero Day (November 11th), a day created by Lotte Confectionery on which people exchange Pepero sticks.
Critics frequently draw attention to how commercialized these “days” have become. However, whether motivated by business interests or not, it is comforting to have a reason to demonstrate love on important occasions. So these ‘days,’ whatever their economic significance, are valuable in my opinion as opportunities to show love and devotion. Valentine’s Day, White Day, and other such ‘days’ may have commercial components, but they ultimately represent the lovely aim of expressing passion and affection for one another.
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Written by: Ms Im Minju, March 2024