Shirihoudai

It all started with that damn holiday called Valentines Day.  For some reason, Japan thought it would be good for their economy to force the women to buy the men in their lives chocolate on February 14.  A month later they came up with White Day - where the guys who received gifts a month before, have to return the favor. 

Not to be out-done, the Koreans come up with Black Day:

Black Day for love, big day for noodles

By Jon Herskovitz Mon Apr 14, 12:40 PM ET

SEOUL (Reuters) - It was a Black Day for love in South Korea on Monday with lonely hearts trying to ease their pain by diving head first into bowls of noodles.

South Korea celebrates Valentine’s Day, where local custom dictates women give gifts to men. It has taken on a popular event born in Japan but sweeping Asia known as White Day on March 14 when men return the favor with gifts for women.

But Black Day, on April 14, is a South Korean original. It is marked by people who have not found love dressing in dark colors and commiserating over meals of black food, with the dish of choice being Chinese-style noodles topped with a thick sauce of black bean paste.

“I had a miserable time on Valentine’s Day, felt even lonelier on White Day and now I’m crying over a bowl of black noodles,” said a young women who asked only to be identified by her family name Na out of embarrassment.

“Things better be different next year.”

At universities across the country on Monday, students without lunch dates ordered black noodles, dined with other lonely hearts and searched for companionship.

South Korea marketers have hatched special days for the 14th of each month to create a calendar laden with love.

Some days have gained traction such as Black Day, while others such as Green Day in August, when couples are supposed to drink cheap liquor that comes in green bottles and walk in the woods, have yet to attract much of a following.

Black Day events have snowballed, with a major matchmaking service this year providing an evening of speed dating where the dish of choice is sushi blackened by squid ink.

An on-line company for movie tickets sponsored a speed eating competition of black noodles for those who bought single tickets for the latest films.

“It is depressing enough going to the movies by yourself,” said Shin Youn-joo of the company called Max Movie.

“We just wanted to spread a little joy to the ‘with-outs’.”

So there you have it, white day, black day, even green day.  There are still a lot of colors left in the color spectrum and I propose the following ideas:

Purple day - May 14.  Everyone drinks wine, gets drunk, and the night ends in a heap of human nakedness.

Blue Day - June 14.  Girls get to tease the guys but don’t offer themselves up in the end.  aka blue balls.

Yellow Day - July 14.  Girls set up lemonade stands and the guys must buy a glass of lemonade.  The only trick is that one of the glasses contains pee.

Brown Day - August 14.  Guys return the favor but instead of making lemondade, they bake chocolate cakes.

Ok, i’m just getting gross now. . .