On April 14, after watching happy couples exchange gifts on both Valentine’s Day and White Day, the unattached people of South Korea get together in solidarity. They dress in all black and eat jjajang myeon.
This dish consists of noodles covered in black bean paste; it’s comfort food that often leaves teeth tinted a dark color. In South Korea, Valentine’s Day and White Day are both celebrated as occasions to give gifts to significant others.
Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14, when women buy men gifts (usually chocolate). White Day is celebrated on March 14, when men reciprocate the gifts with their own, also present in the form of chocolate.
As both occasions fall on the 14th, other holidays were created by the government of South Korea for all other months to continue this trend. Black Day builds on the romantic aspect of Valentine’s Day and White Day.
As the chocolates received on Valentine’s Day are interpreted to symbolize a man’s popularity and the chocolates given on White Day are used solely for romantic purposes, Black Day focuses on the people, especially singles, who did not receive any gifts on either of the holidays.
On the day, singles who have not received presents on both days gather wearing black to ‘commiserate’ over black-colored food, especially jajangmyeon.
During the meal, they complain about their lack of intimate relationships and chocolate gifts. This day is targeted by businesses, who hold various events and advertise their products, a strategy known as ‘day marketing.’
The events are highly popular and include matchmaking events such as speed dating, jajangmyeon-eating contests, and discounts on items. The Chinese-style noodle dish is one of South Korea’s national foods and is considered a comfort food comparable to the stereotypical image of Ben and Jerry’s eaten straight out of the carton.
On Black Day, there are organized, jjajang myeon-eating contests, where dark and devastated loners emerge to eat their weight in starch and bean paste. Sales of black coffee spike and matchmaking services pounce on the resounding pity for singles lingering in the air.
The thick, wheat noodles, similar to pasta, are typically served in a separate bowl from the sauce made with onions meat, and/or seafood like shrimp or sea cucumber.
The contents are then mixed together at the diner’s discretion. The sauce often leaves a black tint on the teeth the perfect accessory to an all-black ensemble.
Though, it seems not everyone is sad on Black Day; not even these yo-yoers (their singledom unconfirmed). And if you can’t find any buddies to celebrate Black Day with you in America, there’s always Singles Awareness Day to look forward to on February 15.
