If you didn’t grow up in Asia, you might have wondered what the hell was going on the first time you experienced Pepero Day. Did Valentine’s Day come a few months early or what? The original November 11th is a designated national holiday… but as Farmer’s Day and not Pepero Day. How did this company manage to get a day centered all around their snacks? Rumor has it that the origin of this day dates back to 1983 when middle school girls started giving it to each other with well-wishes to be “as thin as peperos.” Some speculate that it evolved into a romantic holiday from there on out—giving peperos to people you might have a crush on. Nowadays, there are all sorts of pepero. There’s the original “thin sticks” to variations on those that come covered in almonds and white chocolate to thicker ones and taller ones. In the past year or so, DIY pepero kits have been all the rage (allowing for more personalization). As the day became increasingly popular, the government tried to change the concept to Garae-tteok (tall-thin rice cake) Day to tie it in more closely with Farmer’s Day. (But who really knows about Garae-tteok Day?) Look around at all the convenience stores come early November and you’ll see Pepero Day’s unrelenting success, but we hope just as diversity in pepero grows so does the acceptance of different body sizes. We think you look delicious at any size!
