Black Day in Korea – Everything You Need to Know About This Unique Holiday

This article will tell you all about Black Day in Korea.

South Korea is known for having a lot of memorable days on top of national holidays. One of them is known as Black Day.

Read on to find out all about this special day!

Some of the essential couples’ holidays in South Korea are Valentine’s Day on February 14th and White Day on March 14th. Today it’s time to learn of the holiday for singles that follows them in April.

This unofficial holiday is called Black Day, and it is celebrated every April 14th.

Let’s get to it.

What is Black Day?

Black Day is a celebration dedicated to single people. Sometimes called “Single’s Day,” Black Day is dedicated to those who are not in a relationship.

Unlike Valentine’s Day and White Day, which are holidays for couples, Black Day is the only holiday that celebrates being unmarried or unattached to someone romantically.

“Black Day” in Korean

You can say “Black Day” in Korean as 블렉데이 (beullaekdei).

Here’s how to pronounce it correctly:

블렉데이 (beullaekdei)

When is Black Day?

Korean celebrate Black Day every April 14th. It is one month after White Day on March 14 and two months after Valentine’s Day. It’s the last of Korea’s romantic holidays.

How is Black Day celebrated?

In South Korea, some people celebrate Black Day by eating 짜장면 (jjajangmyeon), which are noodles in black bean sauce. You may see companies holding 짜장면 (jjajangmyeon) eating contests for groups or single people enjoying this black noodle dish in solitude.

The sauce’s black color goes according to the day’s name. The 짜장면 (jjajangmyeon) dish is also seen as comfort food by many, which fits the narrative that single people need a lot of comfort.

On this day, some singles may go all out and dress in all in black– from clothes to nail polish. There is also an intriguing spike in the sales of black coffee, and companies may offer some matchmaking events to single people on Black Day.

Unlike Valentine’s Day and White Day, Black Day doesn’t require giving gifts.

How did Black Day start?

Initially, April 14th was seen as a day of sorrow, hence the name “black.” It was a day when single people could come together to mourn their singleness and drown their sorrows in comfort food.

However, in modern-day South Korea, the emphasis on being in a relationship has decreased over the years. Hence, some people see Black Day as a day for celebration instead of mourning.

Whether celebrating or mourning, eating 짜장면 (jjajangmyeon) on this day, perhaps with black coffee for dessert (with dark chocolate, maybe?), is still the ideal way to embrace the day.

Black Day Vs. Valentine’s Day

While Valentine’s Day in Korea focuses on couples or people in relationships, Black Day mainly celebrates single people.

There is no gift-giving involved during Black Day, so companies usually focus on selling their products to single people.

Even though people don’t usually give gifts during this holiday, there are still a lot of opportunities for businesses to take advantage of the holiday. Some companies might hold dating activities or offer discounts to single people. Restaurants could have 짜장면 (jjajangmyeon) eating contests for single people.

What is 짜장면 (jjajangmyeon)?

At its roots, 짜장면 (jjajangmyeon), or black bean noodles, is a dish made of noodles imported from China. However, today’s 짜장면 (jjajangmyeon) in South Korea is incomparable to any Chinese noodle dish. The noodles are thick and made of wheat.

On top of the noodles, or separately, is served the sauce. It is a black bean paste mixed with soy sauce, pork, onions, and zucchini. It often includes seafood and cabbage, and it’s also possible to find meat-free versions. As a decoration on top, you may discover cucumber and boiled eggs.

It is also a popular dish outside of Black Day, as its price is low, and it’s easy to find restaurants serving 짜장면 (jjajangmyeon) close to schools and offices. Its taste is mild and easy to eat for those who don’t like salty or spicy food. This noodle dish in black bean sauce is also considered comfort food, perfectly fitting the day’s mood.

Learn Korean on Black Day

If you don’t plan on going out and celebrating Black Day, how about staying home with a perfect cup of black coffee and learning Korean? We have an excellent structured Korean language course that will teach you how to have a 3-minute conversation with Koreans in just 90 Days!

Wrap Up

So there you have it; we’ve given you all you need to know about Black Day. We hope we’ve given you an idea for activities that you can do in case you’re planning to celebrate Black Day on April 14.

Do you think you’ll celebrate Black Day this year or next year? What do you think about Black Day? Let us know in the comments below.