Singapore’s public holidays accommodate the different cultures we’re home to. Many of them exist in Singapore because of tradition passed down from past generations. While some newer traditions such as Valentine’s Day are not public holidays, they have now come to be widely celebrated throughout the world.
Then there are those other occasions like St. Patrick’s Day and Halloween that have slowly made it way into Singaporean culture. And then there are those that haven’t made it here yet. PEPERO Day is one such day.
Originally from South Korea, it is a wildly popular celebration with a simple purpose – to show affection for friends and loved-ones by exchanging PEPEROs. It’s like Valentine’s Day with a sweet crunch.
When November 11 strikes, you’ll see shops in Seoul stocked with hundreds of boxes of PEPERO. And friends, family, and lovers use it as an opportunity to express their feelings for one another. There’s no reason it shouldn’t be celebrated in Singapore too. Here are 10 solid reasons why we should celebrate PEPERO Day here too!
PEPERO Day is an occasion to show appreciation to your loved ones. Sometimes, we tend to be so caught up with our everyday lives that we forget to show our care for those who truly matter. Use this as an opportunity to brighten up their day by packing PEPERO into their bags as a mid-day snack at work, or leave one on your colleague’s desk for no reason at all.
The “PEPERO Game” is a one that you may have seen on Korean variety shows like Running man and during infamous orientation camps in schools. It goes like this: 2 players take turns to nibble two opposite ends of a single PEPERO stick until they reach as close to the centre as possible. The winner’s supposedly the player with the least cookie remaining, but really, the winner’s the player who scores an accidental kiss. Cheeky.
The snack day originated from South Korea, and is very similar to Valentine’s day, but there are core differences. People exchange PEPERO snacks with one another with hopes of becoming taller and thinner, as well as to show affection for loved ones. On this day, many stores give out free PEPERO and limited edition PEPERO are sold. There’s even a PEPERO Song for the occasion!
PEPERO boxes also get special “makeup” during PEPERO Day, with unique designs showing off colored edges in order to create pretty displays like giant hearts.
Korean legend has it that eating PEPERO will help you to grow taller and slimmer, like a PEPERO stick. So if you are looking to grow taller, this might actually work for you. No harm trying, right?
The main reason why PEPERO Day is even celebrated in South Korea is to show the special feelings that one has towards his/her love interest. After all, the end of the year always embeds the mood of romanticism.
Think falling autumn leaves and the gentle breeze along a walkway where boy meets girl, with a Korean drama OST in the background. If you’ve been intending to profess your feelings to your crush, there’s no way more subtle than through PEPERO Day.
Celebrating PEPERO Day brings out the creativity in you. In Korea, men in relationships would put long and thinly-rolled dollar notes into PEPERO boxes, before gifting that to their girlfriends and wives. You can even slot a letter into the box! It’s an environmentally friendly version of angpao.
PEPERO Day is not only a day for all things PEPERO , but for every other snack! Use the day to justify all the local tidbits you will devour on 11 November, and indulge in some ice-cream while you’re at it. If anyone looks at you judgingly, tell them it’s highly important that all public holidays are rightfully observed.
Limited edition PEPERO is the reason for the season. In Korea, flavours such as the fully coated Dark Chocolate PEPERO & Choco Cookie PEPERO are only available during these festivities. There’s also going to be special EXO packaging for PEPERO next year.
We’re not sure if PEPERO’s planning on bringing these to Singapore soon, but we certainly hope so!
It seems like the latest baking trend is all about piling up the candy. Besides being a great snack, PEPERO is a great accessory to cakes as well. Almond PEPERO makes the whole pastry look 10 times more eye-catching. Instagram approves.
Some believe that 11:11 is the magic moment to cast our wishes every day, and it will be even more so on PEPERO Day – 11th November (11/11). 11/11 11:11 looks aesthetically pleasing for the OCD in me, and it’s possibly the most exclusive minute of the year to make your most heartfelt wishes.
Besides, this year’s Deepavali falls on 10 November. If we’re to go back to work or school on 11 November with the post-holiday blues, at least be a little less cruel and grant us the license to snack liberally.
The next time you stroll past the snacks section in the supermarket, check out the sheer variety of PEPERO flavors and if you see something out of the norm, snag it!
Happy PEPERO Day in advance everyone!
Lotte Confectionery S.E.A is giving away 10 x $50 PEPERO Happiness packs to our readers! To participate, simply follow the steps:
Step 1: Like TheSmartLocal and Lotte Confectionery S.E.A on Facebook
Step 2: Like and share THIS announcement post on Facebook
Step 3: Comment below with your favorite PEPERO flavor!
This contest starts on 16 October 2015 and ends 23 October 2015. Winners will be contacted on 24 October 2015.
This post was brought to you by Lotte Confectionery S.E.A.
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