Anywhere in the world, couples have their little celebrations to commemorate moments in their relationship. In the Philippines, they have what is called a monthsary or a monthly celebration of the date they officially became a couple. In Korea, they have what is referred to as the 14th holiday. That is where every 14th day of the month, they have a couple holiday (basically, an unofficial holiday celebrated only by those in relationships). Without further ado, here we have the 12 days of 14ths in Korean Dating:
January 14: Diary Day
On the first 14th day of the year, the diary day is celebrated. That is where couples give each other blank journals as gifts to record significant moments in life. If you are not Korean, fret not, there are a lot of stationery shops all over Seoul.
February 14: Valentine’s Day
That is a no brainer. That isn’t exclusive to Korean dating although, there is a catch. In Korean custom, it is the women who give gifts on Valentine’s day. They give the men they like, or their boyfriends, chocolates as a token of their affection. They may also give close guy friends and the men of the family gifts.
March 14: White Day
White day is Valentine’s day for women. That is where men who received Valentine chocolates are “required” to reciprocate/repay the gifts given by the women last Valentine’s day. There is a custom that the gift to be given ought to be three times the worth of the gift received.
April 14: Black Day
After two consecutive months of lovey-dovey holidays, this 14th day is dedicated to the singles. That is the day the singles go out and eat black bean noodles. They say it’s because this noodles are a bit bitter in taste and correlates to the bitterness of being single.
May 14: Rose Day
On this day, couples exchange roses as a sign of their love for each other, and they wear yellow to commemorate the day.
June 14: Kiss Day
Self-explanatory. On this day, kisses rain upon lovers.
July 14: Silver Day
Couple rings or promise rings are very popular in Korea. It is on this day that most couples decide to exchange silver rings as a pledge to marry each other. That is also the day that most couples decide to introduce their boyfriends/girlfriends to their parents.
August 14: Green Day
No, this isn’t a day for the band. On this day, couples drink soju and take a green walk or a walk through a park of a forest. The soju also doubles for the green since they usually come in green bottles.
September 14: Photo and Music Day
In Korean dating, photo ops are a usual thing. For a culture obsessed with cuteness, pictures are going to take a center stage in relationships. And since this is also music day, try to score a reservation for a Karaoke booth in advance.
October 14: Wine Day
Ahh, a day to indulge in a good bottle of wine to share with your Korean girlfriend.
November 14: Movie Day
This day is all about movies. Whether it be going to the theater, or just doing a DVD marathon at home is enough to make this day all the more special.
December 14: Hug Day
And what better way to end the 14ths of the year than with a hug. That is officially the “Cuddle day” of Korean dating, and couples spend the day warming each other up with hugs.