November 11 is an important day…Veteran’s Day in the US, Remembrance Day in the British Commonwealth, Armistice Day in France and Belgium, Independence Day (in Poland, Cartagena (Colombia), and Angola), LÄÄplÄ“sis Day in Latvia, and Fasching (in Germany, the Netherlands, etc.).
In South Korea, they celebrate a light hearted holiday called Pepero Day. The Day is observed by people exchanging and eating Pepero…especially between romantic couples and school children & their teachers. Pepero is South Korea’s version of Pocky. November 11 when written numberically, 11/11, resembles 4 Pepero sticks. The legend of the Day’s origins states that “Pepero Day was started in 1994 by students at a girls’ middle school in Busan (South Korea’s second largest city after Seoul), where they exchanged Pepero sticks as gifts to wish one another to grow ‘as tall and slender as a Pepero’.”
The more cynical origin is that the manufacturer, Lotte, created the holiday as a marketing scheme…a very successful marketing scheme…according to blogger GDog, “Pepero Day is also known as ‘I’m going to get rich and get paid’ day by shareholders of Lotte…”
Not to be outdone, Glico, created Pocky Day in Japan. According to their website (if I am interpreting the literal translation correctly), the Day was created on November 11, 1999. This, in a sense, one-ups Lotte since this date was during the 11th year of the Heisei era (i.e., the reign of the current Emperor, Akihito)…thus, resembling 6 sticks of Pocky.
So after observing your own national holiday, you can go and celebrate Pepero/Pocky Day by exchanging, sharing, and eating the crunchy snacks…plus you’ll be adding to the profits of Lotte/Glico.