In South Korea, singles who don’t receive a gift on Valentine’s Day “mourn” by eating black noodles.
Valentine’s Day is all about love, romance, and grand gestures for couples, while singles are left as mere bystanders—some awwing, others wowing, or maybe even hissing. Who knows?
In South Korea, it’s not enough that singles are overlooked on Valentine’s Day—those who didn’t receive a gift gather two months later, on April 14th, to mourn over a bowl of black noodles.
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April 14th is known as Black Day—a day dedicated to singles who didn’t receive gifts on Valentine’s Day (February 14th). Black Day is a time for the unattached to gather and acknowledge their single status, often over a meal of jajangmyeon—a dish of thick wheat noodles drenched in a rich black soybean sauce.
Why Black Noodles?
The dark sauce represents loneliness and unfulfilled romance, making it a fitting meal for those who have been left out of the love-filled celebrations of the previous months.
Restaurants even offer special deals on April 14th, catering to the influx of singles seeking comfort in this bittersweet tradition.
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Black Day which began as a tongue-in-cheek response to the country’s romantic holidays has now evolved into a cultural event.
For some, it has become a lighthearted gathering, an opportunity for single people to bond over shared experiences. Some even find love over a shared bowl of noodles.
Others take it more seriously, using it as a moment of reflection on love and relationships. Capitalism also has a share on Black Day as dating apps, matchmaking services, and even fashion brands use it as an opportunity to market to singles.
Black Day seems unusual, but it’s a way to embrace singlehood, connect with others, and perhaps even turn solitude into an opportunity for something new.
So, if you don’t receive a gift on February 14th, make a feast of our own Nigerian noodles on April 14th. At all at all na im bad pass.
ALSO READ: 5 people to gift on Valentine’s Day besides your partner
