On Nov. 11, students celebrated the Korean holiday known as Pepero Day. Pepero Day is a unique day, also known as another Valentine’s Day, where people, specifically students, distribute snacks to their friends and close ones.  For those unfamiliar with this popular snack, Pepero is a thin, biscuit traditionally dipped in chocolate that may include additional toppings such as chopped nuts or a different covering. The snack was manufactured in South Korea since 1983, and is still one of the top snacks people of all ages enjoy.

“Pepero is one of my favorite Korean snacks,”  Gaeun Kim ‘19 said. “Back in Korea, I would usually buy a lot and share them with friends.”

In schools, students bring boxes of Pepero for their friends, teachers and everyone that they want to share their love with. Though not as grand as Valentine’s Day candy, balloons, or roses, students maintain the Valentine’s Day vibes by writing messages attached to or on the Pepero box, and decorating the covers as well. Some students, if time permits, make their own Pepero from scratch, and add their own specialized toppings.  

The unique part of Pepero is the various assortments of sizes and flavors available for purchase. In some stores, not only do they sell standard chocolate-covered biscuits, but also ones covered in green-tea, strawberry, coffee, cookies-and-cream, and many more. Additionally, sizes can vary from several inches to several feet, providing more options for students to choose from.  

“The nude Peperos are the best,” Alina Park ‘16 said. “It’s basically an inside-out regular Pepero, with chocolate in the side and a bare biscuit on the outside.”

Although people from other countries may consider this day as an “overrated” event, Koreans consider this as a legitimate holiday. Celebrities in Korea promote this day through authentic advertisements, and stores stock up their stores with boxes of Pepero the day before.