Black Day

South Koreans have fallen so in love with Valentine’s Day that two related holidays now grace the calendar: White Day and Black Day. On Valentine’s Day (February 14), South Korean women buy chocolates for all the men they know. The men get their turn on White Day (March 14), when they give more expensive white-coloured gifts, such as chocolate and lingerie—but only to their favourite women. Scorned singles prevail a month later, on Black Day, when those who were overlooked on the first two days commiserate in noodle shops and gorge themselves on jjajangmyeon, a noodle dish drenched in black bean sauce.