Valentine’s Day is a global phenomenon celebrated on February 14 annually and globally. Western tradition sees chocolates and flowers given to the people you love or like, and schools may have a girl-ask-boy dance, but this is most seen on television nowadays. However, some countries have a school vacation to celebrate as it’s one of the most common holidays to travel, whether that’s going on a vacation or visiting family and friends. But how does South Korea celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is still celebrated on February 14 in South Korea, but it’s one of four important holidays when it comes to love. Before we get into that, do you want to know how to say “Happy Valentine’s Day” in Korean? It’s “해피 발렌타인 데이!” (haepi ballentain dei), pronounced the same as the English phrase. Though it’s common to hear this phrase, it’s business as usual because Valentine’s Day is not a public holiday. So, what should you expect?

Well, don’t expect your crush (or even your boyfriend) to give you gifts on this day, because it’s customary for women to give men a gift instead. The most common present is chocolate, usually personally baked or bought from a luxury chocolate store. In fact, women have to wait until White Day to receive a present from a loved one. So, if you’re waiting for that special something this year, it’s easier to buy it yourself.

However, children may receive chocolate from their teachers or parents, or the opposite - they give their teachers and parents chocolate. While adults, the elderly, and single people don’t often participate in Valentine’s Day, your workplace might also give out chocolates to uplift everyone’s spirit. After all, no one wants to be single on Valentine’s Day, and throwing work and happy couples into that mix doesn’t help.

Speaking of happy couples, what do they do on this loved-up holiday? Because Valentine’s Day isn’t heavily celebrated by all ages, it’s instead used as a promotional holiday to get people to spend money. Supermarkets will have hampers filled with sweet treats and will make minimal effort to decorate their store to get people in the mood to buy. However, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and even pet shops will display beautiful posters with discounts and offers. For example, you could get a free training session or a free membership if you adopt a pet that day. But it’s more common for a couple to plan a romantic meal or try the new Valentine’s Day-themed drink at their local cafe.

There’s also more to the holiday than just chocolates and deals. If a couple is feeling particularly fancy, they might plan a trip to Jeju Island or visit another city. For example, Haesindang Park is an explicit phallic museum located in Samcheok. Except for the 18th of every month, it’s open all-year-round, and only costs ₩3,000 per adult (roughly $2). But the price differs based on the circumstance, such as the tickets being cheaper if you live in the city. If this activity isn’t for you, you can visit Namsan Tower and put a lock with a special message on the railing, and it’s a very popular activity for foreigners visiting South Korea too.

White Day and Black Day

It’s not what it sounds like! White Day is an East Asian holiday celebrated on March 14 annually. Originally called “Marshmallow Day,” the holiday is the second most important love holiday. If you were too shy to give your crush chocolates on Valentine’s Day, he might give you chocolates on White Day instead. If your boyfriend didn’t give you anything this Valentine’s Day, don’t worry - chocolates are guaranteed to be delivered to your doorstep on White Day. The difference is that men celebrate their love for a woman instead of the opposite way around, like on Valentine’s Day.

You might be thinking, “but what if I don’t have someone?” Well, have you ever heard of Black Day? Celebrated April 14 annually, Black Day was created with the singles in mind. It’s a day of meeting with friends, watching a film in the cinema (or any activity of your choice), and eating jjajangmyeon - what Black Day is named after. The meal consists of noodles with black bean sauce, and is a popular comfort food that can be eaten any time of day and year. The only difference for Black Day is that it’s not heavily advertised.

Pepero Day

However, Pepero Day is exactly what it sounds like. Did you know that it’s labeled as the unofficial fourth love holiday of South Korea? Pepero Day is celebrated November 11 annually, but the tasty snack is sold all-year-round. Pepero Day was created when the brand was falling into discontinued territory, so they created this promotional holiday in the ‘80s to bring popularity to their product. Ever since, people give each other Pepero, leading it to be one of South Korea’s most popular snacks! Fun fact: it’s often written as 11/11 to resemble a pack of Pepero.

Pepero isn’t an expensive snack, much like many other South Korean snacks. It’s two-thirds chocolate stick of practically any flavor, and one-third plain-stick. The most common flavors are chocolate, strawberry, and almond. If they sound familiar, you may have heard of Pocky, which is the Japanese version of Pepero that has a similar look and flavors.

Lastly, the wildly popular Pepero game. We’ve all seen our favorite idols play the card, spoon, and Pepero games on YouTube and urging them to kiss - and just admit it, we’ve all wished for it! If you aren’t aware of the concept, group members battle each other to see who can get the shortest stick. For example, one person holds the Pepero in their mouth, while the other eats as much as possible without touching (or kissing) the other person. But sometimes it gets a little cringey, cheeky, and crazy, like when their heads get pushed together by a mischievous group member, but we’ll let you discover that for yourself…