Foreign Fridays Fact: South Korea

Submitted by Foreign Students on Fri 10/02/12

As part of Foreign Fridays, we explore a different country each week through its most unusual, amusing and odd facts. If you want your country to appear, then simply get in contact with us either in the comments below or through Facebook or Twitter.

This week it is the turn of the South Korea:

During 'Black Day' on April 14th,
what do women eat in South Korea
if their love life isn't going well?

People around the world will be celebrating Valentine's day next week, February 14th marks a day in which couples reignite their love, while those who are single wish new relations will blossom. In the UK it is customary to receive and send Valentine's cards to those whom you harbour affection for, some leave the name of the sender, others are more mysterious.

A part from the romantic gestures and general 'lovey dovey' sentiments that encapsulate this holiday, around the world there are some rather interesting variations. In Slovenia for example, this period of time is characterised by a focus on nature, with farmers planting seeds in the hope that this is the day which will favour the plants and help them to start growing.

By far, the most original interpretation of Valentine's Day has to be in South Korea, where February 14th begins with the usual giving of gifts to women by men on 'White Day', however, it doesn't end there. During 'Black Day' on April 14th, South Korean women who didn't receive the attention they had hoped for, mourn their romantic shortcomings by going into Chinese restaurants and ordering black noodles. That's right, noodles that have a black bean paste, which turn them into depressing reminders that love isn't always so rosy.

You can see all the previous Foreign Friday blog posts here and the main Foreign Fridays page here.

Image from AspectVisuel.