Are you single, living in Korea, and tired of seeing everyone enjoy the romantic holidays? Mark your calendars for April 14th and get ready to enjoy Black Day. In this article, you are going to get to know all about Black Day in Korea. So let’s get started!
Black Day in Korea
Black Day is celebrated in South Korea held on the 14 of April every year. This day is specifically for single people. It is also called Korea singles day. Black Day is called 블랙데이 (Beurrekdae).
Black Day is celebrated after Valentine’s and White Day. Black Day is dedicated to those people who did not receive any gift or affection on the previous two occasions of White Day and Valentine’s Day.
On Black Day, single people get together and grieve their singleness and drown their griefs by eating food and wearing black. It is considered an unofficial holiday in South Korea.
Brief History of Black Day
There are many theories on the origin of Black Day. First, there is a theory that believes that the origin of a black day comes and originated from the White Day.
This theory explains that if White Day symbolizes happy couples, their relationship, expressing their love and affection to each other, exchanging gifts to one another as a symbol of validation that they love each other unconditionally.
Then black is used to symbolize the sad singles who do not have a partner and did not receive a gift from anyone. So basically this is the reason Black Day. is celebrated a month after White Day
There is another theory that describes Black Day as a burnt heart for singles who did not receive anything on Valentine’s and White Day and is empty-handed. But both the theories have one thing in common and represent the same phenomenon which symbolizes sadness for singles.
Valentine’s Day and White Day
Black Day is associated with Valentine’s Day and White Day. Valentine’s Day is celebrated on the 14 of February and White Day is celebrated on the 14 of March. In Korea, both white day and Valentine’s Day are celebrated as an occasion to give and receive gifts and are considered significant days for showing love and affection to another person.
Both White Day and Valentine’s Day focus on the romantic aspects of the event. People show their love to another person by giving and receiving gifts, flowers, and chocolates. This is a special day for couples and those who are in a relationship.
Is It Only For Single People?
This occasion is created especially for single people. So yes, Black Day is only for single people. There is mainly no gift-giving involved on a black day hence the companies target the single people and manufacture products according to the interests of single people and sell their products to them through different techniques.
Moreover, single people arrange parties for them with the black theme that everything should be black, their decoration, dresses, and food because black is considered a color of sorrow. They feel sad on White Day for being lonely and sad while most of them get depressed too.
So, all the single people spend quality time and share their loneliness. They participate in different activities that are interesting and feel happy.
Black Day Food
People on Black Day eat comfort and black-colored foods by celebrating their day. Their most popular dish on a black day is 짜장면 (jajangmyeon) which is black bean noodles with black sauce and black coffee.
Their famous side dishes include kimchi, tangsuyuk, and danmuji. They talk about their loneliness and lack of validation from the opposite gender to each other while eating.
Also, restaurants promote their restaurant and dishes on Black Day by making a special discount on this day so that lots of their food gets sold and they make a lot of profit, also people can buy food at a cheap rate.
Eating 짜장면 (jajangmyeon)
Black Day is also called the day to eat 짜장면 (jajangmyeon). 짜장면 (jajangmyeon) is a dish that is prepared with noodles. It gets imported by traders from China to Korea. The overall look of these noodles is thick. It is made up of wheat.
The way 짜장면 (jajangmyeon) gets prepared is incomparable to any noodle dish in China. These noodles are separately served with the black bean sauce. The black bean sauce is made up of black bean paste and soya sauce, pork, onion, and zucchini.
There are many ingredients involved in the making of 짜장면 (jajangmyeon). It also includes cabbage and some seafood because it depends on the person if he likes it, it gets added.
For more decoration, cucumber and boiled eggs increase the beauty and taste of 짜장면 (jajangmyeon). Black bean paste is the specialty of these noodles.
It is the most famous dish because it is cheap and easily available at any restaurant. The taste of 짜장면 (jajangmyeon) is delicious. It is not too spicy and tasteless hence any age group of a person can easily eat 짜장면 (jajangmyeon).
It soothes their loneliness and provides comfort to a person. In Korea, the iron bag is the symbol of 짜장면 (jajangmyeon) because the delivery man delivers it in a big iron bag.
Impact of Black Day on South Korea
There is a huge impact of Black Day on Korea. Many companies and businesses in Korea target the black day. Koreans celebrate Black Day as they make mega plans for black day. Black day creates great marketing for the company that sells their products because people buy their products a lot for and on this day.
They organize different activities and events on Black Day and invest a lot in their Black Day projects, do a lot of advertisements for their events and later make a lot of profit from these events. Some of their popular activities on a black day include speed dating, matchmaking, eating contests, and discounts on items.
짜장면 (Jajangmyeon) Eating Contests
There is a custom of eating contests in South Korea on Black Day. Many restaurants organize these eating contests to cheer up singles and these eating contests are only limited to singles.
Moreover, lots of people start participating in the contests which makes it more interesting and fun. Their eating contests are mostly on eating jjajangmyeon (a Korean noodle dish). Most people enjoy eating jajangmyeon because it is a simple dish but they find it delicious as well. It is also easy for people to buy because it is not expensive and available at a cheap price.
If you are single then forget about the other romantic holidays. Get yourself a bowl of black color and adds your favorite things in it like chocolate to celebrate the single’s day.
Black Day Clothes
All the people in South Korea who are single find it an opportunity to spend their time with their family and friends. People who are single wear black dresses on Black Day.
They represent their sadness and loneliness by wearing black dresses and using black things. They get dressed up all in black clothes to represent their grief and wear black nail polish, black shoes, and black accessories as well.
Black Day in Other Countries
People celebrate Black Day not only in Korea. It is also celebrated in other countries. They celebrate Black Day in their own way. The United States of America celebrates it as a Single Awareness Day on February 15, one day after Valentine’s Day.
Their agenda is to love yourself first. They exchange gifts with their single friends and this day is considered a reminder that a person does not need a relationship to celebrate love. On the other hand, China celebrates a single day on the 11 of November by the single people.
Businesses promote many discounts for singles on this day. It is also called the world’s biggest shopping day in the world. A day marketing takes place in each country. People buy many products because of their discounts and get things at a cheaper price. Enjoy Black Day as many businesses will offer discounts.
Wrapping Up
Unlike Valentine’s day, Black Day is for single people specifically so enjoy this Korean holiday while you are in South Korea and get yourself some spicy food as comfort food like the Koreans does to drown their sorrows. If you are trying to learn the Korean language then check out Ling App. It’s a great app to learn the Korean language. Also, check out Korean Last Names and Korean Manners.
