Happy Pepero Day!

Good Morning everyone, and happy pepero day.

(First of all - I know that today is Rememberance day and that is a much more important and valuable holiday and this post is in no way trying to lessen the importance of rememberance)

Today in Korea it is a day the school children have been waiting for, Pepero Day! First of all a little background:

• Pepero are long and skinny cookies dipped in Chocolate which are a popular snack here. They come in many different varieties and can be bought for about 50 cents a box.
• The story goes that a group of middle school girls in Busan, South Korea first came up with the idea of giving pepero to their friends every November 11th. Since November 11th is 11/11, it looks like a bunch of pepero all lined up.
• The more likely and probable story that most people really believe is that some very smart marketing directors at Lotte Confectionary came up with the "holiday" to sell more Pepero!
• Last year around pepero day, Lotte reported its highest sales of any single product ever! I would say smart marketing scheme guys!

You would be shocked at how much pepero stuff is everywhere right now. In the grocery store yesterday they had shelves and shelves of pepero, pepero gift sets, really long pepero, bread dipped in chocolate to look like pepero, key chains, necklaces, cellphone bobbles (very popular here) And to top it all of they had this theme song playing on repeat over and over again!

I have already experienced a random Pepero-ing. I was waiting with Jon at the bus stop on Wednesday and these three girls walk by with their arms full of pepero, they stop, look at me, and start handing me pepero out of their bags. Now keep in mind that I had never seen these girls before nor will I likely ever see them again! Ah the joys of being a foreigner! Alas, poor Jon sitting next to me didn't get the same treatment...

So that brings us to today, actual Pepero day. We have been good teachers and stocked up on enough pepero for all of our students. (Really cool ones too!) And we are awaiting the arrival of much pepero for us. One of the other foreign teachers at the school said that last year it took him quite a while to get through all the pepero kids gave to him! I say bring it on!