April 14th is Black Day. It is Korea's version of Single Awareness Day. People who didn’t receive anything on Valentine’s Day or White Day (in other words, people who don’t a boyfriend or girlfriend) gather together and eat jajangmyeon, a noodle dish with black bean sauce. The dish was created by Chinese immigrants living in Incheon about 100 years ago.
This is Gong-hwa-choon, the building in Incheon where jajangmyeon was first made.
It is no longer open, but the building may be renovated in the future.
Some students went to a Chinese restaurant around Catholic University and ate jajangmyeon. It was delicious. Michel Food also served the dish.
This is jajangmyeon. It is served in Chinese restaurants throughout Korea.
Some people also wear black clothes or go to a café and drink black coffee. Not all people who are single celebrate Black Day, and some people think that it is just a clever sales gimmick. But some students still celebrate the day anyway because it can be fun, especially for lonely singles! If you are single next year, why not celebrate Black Day with other single friends over a bowl of jajangmyeon? It might sound depressing but it can be fun as well.
By GEO Class 2-4 (Professor David & TA Stephanie)
