Happy 배배로 (Pepero) Day!

Gianni and the giant Pepero display outside the store

Yesterday was Pepero Day in Korea! It may possibly be worse than even Valentine's Day because its specifically to give out Pepero sticks, which are cookie sticks with chocolate on the ends. It is a manufactured holiday created by Lotte (the company that owns practically everything in Korea--department stores, a fast food chain that is, arguably, better than McDonalds, a baseball team, etc.) to sell more of it's candy.  In Japan, these are called Pocky. It's celebrated on 11/11 because the pepero are sticks, so they look like 11's if you put 2 next to each other. They sell a whole bunch of different varieties, and kids give them out to their friends. A lot of times students give them out to their teachers, and today, I'm giving some out to my co-teachers. I wanted to take part in the Korea holiday, even if it is totally made up. The oreo kind if my favorite with a close second to the almond and chocolate ones. I tried the melon ones...and they were really cantaloupe-flavored...not my favorite.