Merry Pepero Day! (and you thought Valentine's Day was commercialized)

     Right after I arrived at work today, one of the girls who seems to like me the most, ran up to my desk and gave me a box of Pocky, which if you don't know, is a box of long, skinny crakers dipped in chocolate or other things, but usually chocolate.  That student is actually always giving me cute things, so while I was surprised, I didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary.

Then, two more students came in and gave me boxes of Pocky. One of them had this note attached to it:

In case you can't read it.  It says: Dear Ms. ____.  from. Hannah (in the corner)  Today is Pepero (in Hangul) Day.  Pepero (in Hangul) Day is a give and take long chocolate snack.  It means "we are best friend!" or "thanks to (some person who wants give you)".  So I give you this snack.  (picture of a little girl face with HaHa written underneath).  I always thanks for your teaching.  It taste like coffee.  I want you like it.  Bye Teacher ^^ (^^  is the Korean equivalent of a smiley emoticon).

Is this the cutest thing or what?  She was with another friend who gave me one of the red boxes and it said, "Merry Pepero (in Hangul) day"  It was great.  On the front of her box, the print says, "11story #1. Hugs!Hugs! All in my arms, in my soul I want to hold you baby"  Classic.

That is my collection of gifts for Pepero day. 

I felt so lucky that the students would remember to include me on this day.  As I was arranging that picture, I noticed that one of the boxes even said "Pepero."  It's the box on the top.  Here's a better look:

So, as I was looking at this box, I realized that in Korea, Pocky is not Pocky, it's Pepero.  This whole day was fabricated by the Pepero company,aka Lotte.

Later that evening, in the subway, I saw tons of Pepero displays.  I saw a few people with these Pepero box towers wrapped in cellophane.  So as much as we complain in the states about Valentine's Day, at least Hallmark attempted to ground their "Holiday" in some kind of historical event.  However, Pepero (owned by Lotte) chose a random day, 11/11 and called it Pepero Day because the "double elevens look like Pepero in the box."

AND, just like in the states, on Valentine's Day, I love it and am so happy to have received boxes of Pepero.