Remembrance Day/Pepero Day

Today is Remembrance Day back in Canada, and like other dutiful Canadians, I would normally be wearing a poppy and attending a ceremony to commemorate the soldiers that fought and those who died in WW1, WWII, the Korean War, and other peacekeeping missions. Those who risked their lives for our freedom. Those who came to Korea to fight for the freedom of the Korean people.

In Korea, however, they do not celebrate Remembrance Day or a Veterans Day. Nope, instead on November 11th they have a Valentine's-like holiday called Pepero Day. This day was developed as a marketing strategy from the Lotte Candy corporation to get people to buy Pepero sticks and give them to their friends and lovers. What are Pepero sticks you ask? Well, they are like a sweet cracker/cookie thing dipped in chocolate. And because they are sticks, they resemble the number 1. So the candy company decided to market 11/11 as their day because the four 1s look like four Pepero sticks. I find this is extremely tacky and disrespectful.

Pepero sticks in many varieties

After some internet research, I came to learn that while Remembrance Day is celebrated world-wide, it is a memorial day observed by Commonwealth nations (of which Korea is not) and the United States, who call it Veteran's Day. I'm not irked by the fact that Korea doesn't celebrate Remembrance Day, it's not their culture, but I think it's rude to have a made up holiday on that day when a large part of the world are mourning. It's not even like Pepero Day has a deep history - it started in the 1990s! Hallmark may have taken advantage of Valentine's Day for marketing purposes, but at least St. Valentine was a historical figure and Valentine's Day was celebrated long before we dedicated the day to honour our soldiers. Considering the number of American soldiers who are living in Korea, I think Korea could have been a little more respectful just to NOT have a 'candy' holiday on this important day. By their logic, there was nothing stopping them from making Pepero Day January 11th (1/11) or November 1st (11/1). Of note, Korea does have their own Memorial Day, on June 6th, to honour their soldiers

Perhaps I haven't been in Korea long enough, or perhaps I'm just too Canadian. But November 11th will always be Remembrance Day for me. Lest we forget.