About Special Love Holidays
Every month of the year contains a Korean “holiday” that falls on the 14th. The first thing you need to know about the love holidays that fall on the 14th of every month is that not everyone cares. These holidays are for fun to celebrate both being in love or single. Not every person in South Korea or of Korean descent cares about such social love holidays. In fact, not every Korean has even heard of all these love holidays.
The reason that not everyone cares about ‘love holidays’ is because Korean culture views and experiences vary by age, belief system, where they were born, where they live now, economic level, education level, and so much more. This information in this blog relates to documentation of cultural phenomena and not the knowledge or the experience of every Korean person’s life.
South of Seoul would even venture to say that Korean ‘love holidays’ might be best referred to as pop-culture holidays. This is because ‘love holidays’ don’t hold extensive historical value. Which is an ok fact. Culture exists on a spectrum that can be enjoyed and celebrated based on a person’s history and life experiences. Learning about both past and present cultural information creates a deeper understanding of a place and its people.
As a person living in South Korea, you may find it fun to learn about the existence and meaning of ‘love holidays’. You may also enjoy participating in such holidays in some way. You can also talk about these fun ‘holidays’ and learn more about how Korean’s have experienced them in their lifetime.
Now let’s have fun learning about one of Korea’s ‘love holidays’.
January 14th is Diary Day
To be honest, very few Korean’s acknowledge or knows Diary Day exists. Diary Day has not caught on like other popular ‘love holidays’ such as White Day or Black Day. However, Diary Day may be one of the most interesting of all the ‘love holidays’ since:
Blank diaries are given as gifts among couples and friends. Anniversaries, birthdays, and other special occasions are recorded into the brand new journals. South Korea is full of stationery shops that specialize in quirky notebooks and agendas, often covered with Konglish phrases. .
Ms. Lowry
Honestly, as a foreigner living in South Korea, Diary Day would be a wonderful habit to adopt each January. Get together with your partner or friends, exchange diaries. Then come together at the end of each year to share your highlights, process your struggles, and reflect on the life you lived together.
This could be a start to a fun tradition that brings you closer to your loved ones each year. Consider this a gift to yourself and your loved ones.
Where to Shop for Diaries
We usually get our diaries from Artbox, Daiso, Flying Tiger, or a neighborhood stationery store. Korean loves diaries and you will find many covered in English expression, encouraging quotes, and so much more.
Founded in 2015, the South of Seoul team consists of volunteers on three continents working together to support English-speaking people traveling or living in South Korea. South of Seoul volunteers work with organizations and individuals across South Korea to improve equitable access to information across South Korea. Much of South of Seoul’s information focuses on Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
Blogs published under the authorship of “South of Seoul” include blogs compiled by multiple volunteers to improve access to standardized information unrelated to individualized personal experiences.
