User:Timotheechalametstan/Black Day (South Korea)

Origins Section:

Black Day originally did not exist until after Valentines Day and White Day became popular. Uniquely, Japan and South Korea are the only countries that celebrate Valentine's Day twice. Because of all the love holidays (14 to be exact) that occur in Korea, many people decided single people deserved recognition too.

Celebrating Black Day
Black Day is not a government-issued holiday, but many people take this event as an opportunity to celebrate with friends and family. The term celebrating is used loosely. Some people celebrate Black Day with their friends to embrace the fact that they are single, since there is less societal pressure to be in a relationship in Korea today. Other people who celebrate Black Day indulge in comfort food.

The most common food that is eaten on Black Day is called jjajangmyeon, a popular black bean noodle dish in Korea. People eat jjajangmyeon on Black Day because it is a simple, yet delicious dish that one can get at a cheap price. The people who celebrate eat at Chinese-styled restaurants. Though not black, danmuji, tangsuyuk, and kimchi are popular side dishes that are enjoyed with jjajangmyeon. Those who want to celebrate by themselves order take-out from these restaurants.

People who use this as an opportunity to promote music, food, clothes, competitions, and matchmaking services. Many restaurants and companies use Black Day to promote discounts on their items. Restaurants expect their sales to be double, or even triple, the amount they usually make. Black coffee and jjajangmyeon are two popular food options that sell out very quick on this day.

Eating is not all that people do to celebrate Black Day. People dress in all black--wearing black nail polish and accessories. People also listen to music that is dedicated to this holiday. Many artists wrote songs honoring singles for this holiday. Pascol, a popular Korean music group, have made a comeback, using Black Day as their muse for the song. The song is a hit, accumulating tens of thousands of views and shares.

Other Countries
Like Korea, other countries have their own version of Black Day. They use this as an opportunity to celebrate the joys of being single. The United States of America celebrates Single Awareness Day on the 15th of February, the day after Valentine's Day. Unlike Korea, the United States does not promote Single Awareness Day.

China celebrates single day on November 11th. It is celebrated on the 11th of November because the ones represent single sticks. Like Korea, China promotes many discounts for singles. Single's Day in China continues to be China's biggest e-commerce sale. Alibaba registered $38.4 billion worth of sales on Single's Day alone.