Pepero Day

Every year on November 11, students around Korea celebrate Pepero Day by giving each other Pepero snacks. It is not an official holiday, but most people know about it, and schools usually get a little noisier and busier than usual. The date 11/11 looks like four Pepero sticks lined up, which is why it became the day for the tradition.

What makes Pepero Day popular is how simple it is. You do not need to plan anything big or spend a lot of money. You just give someone a box to show you like them, appreciate them, or even just as a friendly gesture. It is lighthearted and easy, which is probably why students keep celebrating it every year.

This year, I noticed the usual things. Convenience stores started stacking Pepero boxes near the entrance, and by the end of the day most of the interesting flavors were already gone. Some students exchanged them in the morning, some exchanged during lunchtime, and some waited until after school.

My own experience was pretty normal. I couldn’t buy Peperos for close friends but got a couple back. It was nothing dramatic, just a simple exchange that made the school day feel a bit different from usual. One friend gave me a flavor I like, which I appreciated because it meant they remembered something small I had mentioned before.

Even though Pepero Day is not a major holiday, it adds a nice break in the middle of November. It is a small tradition, but it brings a bit of fun and gives people a reason to be a little kinder than usual. Sometimes that is enough to make an ordinary school day better.