Nearly everybody knows about Valentines Day (Feb 14th), day of love, is synonymous with roses and chocolates. In fact, Korea celebrates 14th of every months, introduced by the growth of youth culture of the nineties. Recently the 14th Day phenomenon has been given a commercial bent by merchants and companies. Examples being March 3rd, which is called sam sam (3 3) day for Samgyeopsal and November 11th, Bbaebbaero Day. The name deriving from the fact these stick-like long thin snacks resemble the figure 1.

Already, three of these special 14th have passed this year. January 14th was Dairy Day, an occasion to exchange diaries. Valentine’s day in February is followed by White Day in March, where the onus is on girls to give candy to their boyfriends. Those not in relationships, either by choice or by compulsion, can celebrate Black Day (April 14th) A.K.A Jajangmyeon Day with other single people. On Black Day, singles dress in black and eat black food and drink in the company of other unattached peers. "Jajangmyeon Day" is named after a well-known distinctively black food in Korea. This day is an opportunity for lonely-hearts tofind a partner in Jajangmyeon restaurants.

If you do find a girlfriend or boyfriend on Black Day, roses are to be exchanged on May 14th on Rose Day. If not, wear yellow clothes and have yellow food like curry on the day. May 14th is known as "Rose Day" for couples but "Yellow Day" for Singles.
Hey! Singles! Lets all go to have Jajangmyeon (black noodle) on April 14th?

These 14th days with their catchy titles have created a unique DAY culture in Korea. It has become a symbol of the youth culture’s sensitivity and individuality, separating them from the older generations. Also, this special emphasis on unique days makes normal days seem fun and kind of special.

While this Day culture may be a harmless distraction to some, and a boom in sales for confectionary companies, it can create stress and anxiety for others. Young students with limited spending power may be vulnerable to feeling of inadequacy and peer pressure. Singles may experience a sense of anxiety and social ostracrisation on the 14th Days with couple themes. For modern Korean youth, all these overtly commercial celebrations diminish the importance of traditional holidays such as Seollal (Korean lunar new year) and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving day). Furthermore this emphasis on conspicuous consumption, manipulate the values of Korean youth. There should be a meaningful reason for having special days, not just to sell more candy.

Fortunately, for some of the younger generation these 14th Day celebrations provide an opportunity to share in the lives of the less socially adept. The companies that make a lot of profit from the days should try to give something back to public welfare, maybe by donating some of their extra profit from those special days. These days can be used to create dialogue and generate awareness about needs of society. For example, on Valentines Day, we should think about St. Valentine’s devotion and love for the common people. I hope that the 14th days become special occasions to share not only gifts and events of the special days, but also promote love and understanding between people.
By Kim Minsu

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