Too Many Days

Companies in Korea have been hijacking days of the year for some time now. For example, Valentine's day has been augmented by White Day and Black Day, which follow on the 14th of March and April and were invented by the candy and noodle makers respectively. I can't be bothered explaining exactly what goes on on each day but, needless to say, candy and noodles are involved.

Today was both Samgyupsal Day and Wife's Day. Samgyulsal Day is, rather unimaginatively, the day on which everyone should eat samgyupsal, a pork dish. Pig farmers chose the 3rd of the 3rd month because the name of the dish contains the number three. What amazes me is that sitting in the cafe at lunchtime, people really were coming in and making a thing of ordering samgyupsal.

More interestingly, today was also Wife's Day. This time, Samsung Insurance is the culprit. In England, insurance companies are boring places run by boring people in a boring way. Not here. Samsung Insurance has declared that March 3rd is the day when all their married female customers must be treated like royalty. To this end, they invited 200 married customers to come for a ballroom dancing event where the ladies were delighted to be taught the steps so that their husbands can take them dancing. The husbands were also required to swear to come home early from work, not to drink and to do everything their wives ask. Just for the day, I assume.

Here's a picture of the event (which was organised by Soyeon) in the Hankyoreh Shinmun today:

Somehow, I can't see this exporting to England too well.