Is November 11th, the day of exchanging Pepero, a legal holiday?... Sharing 'This' Instead

November 11th, known as ‘Pepero Day,’ is the day when people exchange stick-shaped chocolate snacks. This day is also the official national holiday called ‘Farmers' Day’ in South Korea.

Bangatgan Garaetteok. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

In 1996, the government established Farmers' Day as a legal holiday to raise awareness that agriculture is the foundation of the national economy and to boost the pride and dignity of farmers. This day is also known as Garaetteok Day. The tradition began in 2003 when AhnLab, a company formerly known as AhnCheol-soo Research Institute, held an internal event where employees shared garaetteok instead of Pepero sticks.

Since 2006, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has been actively organizing events to promote Farmers' Day and encourage rice consumption. Not only government offices, schools, and daycare centers but also private companies have increasingly participated in gifting garaetteok.

Garaetteok is a traditional Korean food made by kneading rice flour with water and stretching it into long cylindrical rice cakes. The word ‘garae’ means long and wide, and the white rice cake symbolizes purity and cleanliness. Its elongated shape resembles the number 1, which is why various garaetteok events are held on November 11th.

The calorie content of garaetteok is around 200 kcal per 100g. Although it is high in carbohydrates, it is digested slowly, providing a feeling of fullness. The dietary fiber in garaetteok aids digestion and promotes bowel movements.

Garaetteok can be enjoyed as a snack by coating it with rice syrup or soybean powder, used in tteokbokki?a spicy rice cake dish mixed with vegetables and spicy seasoning?or added to rice cake soup eaten on Lunar New Year's morning. It can also be coated with batter and fried to make savory garaetteok skewers.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the safe consumption period for commercially packaged garaetteok is about three days. It is best to store it frozen before the expiration date.