On the 11th of November in Korea they have a holiday that is similar to Sweetest Day in the States. They celebrate Valentines Day here but it is also similar to Valentines Day. The day is called Pepero Day. Pepero is a cookie stick that is dipped in chocolate in its most popular form, sometimes it has sprinkles or nuts on the top too. Also some of the smaller forms have the chocolate on the inside of the cookie. The idea is that you give your boyfriend or girlfriend Pepero on the 11th and/or flowers or other romantic gifts. As with Valentines day in the States school children exchange this candy with their classmates regardless of their romantic involvement. As a teacher I was given a ton of these sticks. The day was most likely started by the Lotte, the company that makes the original form of this candy. There is a story that it was started by young girls in Busan, Korea's second largest city, it's said that they exchanged the candy and wished that they would grow up tall and thin like the candy. Regardless it started back in 1994 and has been copied in Japan with a different candy called Pocky.
