Black Day has to be the coolest holiday ever. As most Asians celebrate White Day on March 14 (which is the opposite of Valentine’s Day on February 14, where men give women chocolates), South Koreans also celebrate Black Day on April 14. It’s called Black Day in South Korea because it is the one day where single people “mourn” their single life.
Known as the holiday for “lonely people” or more encouragingly as a “celebration of singlehood", singles dress in dark clothes and eat noodles covered with black bean paste (Jjajangmyeon 자장면) to celebrate their “lack of a love life”. Single people who wish to celebrate (or commiserate) Black Day drink black coffee and consume other black colored foods.
Jjajangmyeon was first created in the city of Incheon, where early Chinese migrants to Korea began to settle in the late 19th century. The dish was first developed in a Chinese restaurant called Gonghwachun in Incheon around 1905. The city of Incheon sponsored the “100 year anniversary of the birth of jjajangmyeon” in 2005. With about 100 years of history, jjajangmyeon is called one of the “national foods” of South Korea. It is a popular dish among family members because of its cheap price and taste.
There are matchmaking agencies who arrange dates on this day and even a Korean pop band called “MBLAQ Day”. Supposedly all the band members are single and celebrate this with their fans through their music.
Although it sounds like a depressing day, it’s actually a big social gathering with lots of drinking and making merry. There is also a lot of speed dating events set up. And I am sure quite a few single people “hookup” on April 14!
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