April 14th might just be a typical day in any other part of the world, but in Korea, April 14th is Black Day. Black Day is a day for single people to come together, as they cannot participate in Valentine’s Day or White Day. But where did Black Day come from, and how is it celebrated?

Although we have a version of this day in the West - known as Singles’ Awareness Day - the Korean holiday of Black Day is instead celebrated on April 14, rather than on Valentine’s Day. Because Korea has 14 official “love holidays”, Black Day was created as a way to recognize single people, as many felt that single people deserved to have a special day too. 

Generally, on Valentine’s Day, women traditionally give men chocolate; and on White Day, men return the favor by presenting their significant others with white-colored gifts. On Black Day, however, single people get together while wearing black clothes and eat jajangmyeon (black bean noodles). Some may have parties with black decorations, or even paint their fingernails black!

Pictured above: Yang, Yeon-doo, Yeol, and Ha-joon get together to eat jajangmyeon in the Korean drama Sassy Go Go.

Though the day is traditionally a day for people to lament their lack of a romantic relationship, it has become more common for Koreans to celebrate Black Day with their friends to embrace the fact that they are single, since there is less societal pressure to be in a relationship nowadays.

Would you celebrate Black Day? Let us know in the comments down below!