Exploring Black Day: A Closer Look at South Korea's Unique Cultural Event

While South Korea has many holidays geared towards couples, like Valentine's Day and White Day, which both fall on the 14th of their respective months, there is also an unofficial holiday for singles known as Black Day.

It is the last of Korea's "romantic holidays," coming two months after Valentine's Day and just a month after White Day, which is essentially the same as Valentine's Day, except you are reciprocating the gifts to those who gave them to you for Valentine's Day.

So, if you want to learn more about this anti-romantic holiday, keep reading!

Black Day is an unofficial holiday in Korea that celebrates being single. It is comparable to Valentine's Day and White Day, except people celebrate with their fellow single friends instead of a significant other.

There is also no gift exchange, so single people celebrate by enjoying comfort foods and bonding over the fact that they do not have significant others.

Black Day takes place on April 14th to coincide with Valentine's Day and White Day, giving singles a chance to celebrate a day of their own.

Many Koreans will get together with their fellow single friends and eat Jajangmyeon, which is a popular Korean dish made with noodles and black bean sauce.

Since the sauce is made with black bean paste, it suits the name and mood of the holiday. Many people in Korea consider this dish a comfort food, which perfectly ties in with those not in relationships since they need extra comfort on this holiday.

Some people also celebrate the holiday by wearing all black, whether it be their clothes or nail polish, to symbolize that they are not in a relationship and are possibly looking for one.

The holiday also differs from Valentine's Day and White Day since it doesn't involve gift-giving, so some companies will hold dating activities to help singles find a partner or offer special discounts for singles.

Black Day was originally a day of mourning for those not involved in romantic relationships, hence the association with the color black.

People would come together to mourn their lack of romance and drown their sorrows in popular comfort foods, like Jajangmyeon, and other themed foods, like black coffee and dark chocolate.

However, it is now a day of celebration for singles since the emphasis on dating has decreased with time, and it is now more acceptable to be single.

Jajangmyeon, or Korean black bean noodles, is a Chinese-Korean noodle dish made with black bean paste (chunjang) and topped with various meats and vegetables.

This national food is often eaten on Black Day because it is topped with a shiny black sauce, which is very fitting for the holiday, and because it is a popular comfort food in Korea. Hence, the dish helps to comfort all of the singles who are celebrating the day alone.

There are also many jajangmyeon-eating contests held on Black Day, giving single people a chance to come together on the lonely holiday and eat away their feelings.

Watch the video above to learn how to make Jajangmyeon at home for Black Day! 

Let us know how you plan on celebrating Black Day in the comments below!

Are you looking to buy yourself something special for Black Day? Check out The Daebak Company's one-stop shop for your favorite kpop merch, kdrama merch, and other Korean goods to celebrate Black Day!

With the Hallyu wave spreading around the world, it is important to learn more about the holidays and traditions celebrated in South Korea that you have seen in your favorite kdramas or while traveling to Korea.

So whether you are looking to buy your significant other their favorite kpop group's merch or their favorite Korean snacks, or even if you are doing the same for yourself this Black Day, you can find it all at The Daebak Company!