Happy Apple Day!
October 24th is Apple Day in South Korea
Today, people are supposed to give an apple to someone they want to apologize to.
You see, in Korean the word for apple (사과 – sa’gwa) is a homonym for apology. So giving an apple to someone is a symbolic gesture of apology.
And if they bite into the apple, it’s a gesture of accepting your apology.
So may be you’d like to express a regretful acknowledge of some past mistake. Or perhaps, you’re in hot water with some one currently. Whatever the reason, giving them an apple and a heartfelt apology today is a great way to bury the hatchet and start fresh.
Here’s an episode of SBS’s Running Man doing just that. And here is another one (all the way at the end) of them receiving apples after the controversy over the producers firing Song Ji Hyo and Kim Jong Kook. (FYI, I ❤ Running Man!)
It’s not just a day for apologies
Apple day coincides with several apple festivals across the country. The two I know about are the Cheongsong Apple Festival and the Yesan Apple Festival. They’re both held in late October to November.
The Cheongsong Apple Festival is in Cheongsong province in eastern South Korea. While the Yesan Apple Festival is in Chungcheon province in western South Korea.
Both festivals offer their crisp and delicious apples, obviously 🙄, and a variety of apple goods (e.g. jams, pies, apple flavored wines). There are also performances and storytelling because no harvest festival is complete without those…oh, and crafts.
These festivals aren’t about apologies but rather just celebrating local apple pride.
In any case, the festivals are great places to stock up on tasty apples to give out to those you’d like to apologize to later. It’ll mean so much more that it’s a special apple as opposed to store bought. 😉
Not just a homonym
Don’t forget apples are good for you. So you get a double dose of something good when someone gives you an apple apology – an apology for your mental/emotional wellbeing and nutrition for your physical health. Score!
Personally, I like eating an apple every day. But today, I’m going to eat it with a grateful heart and try to forgive myself for things I regret doing or saying that I still beat myself up over. Don’t we all have those times that we’d rather forget? Well, we might not be able to forget, but at least we can forgive. I find that forgiving myself helps me to find the compassion to forgive others.
Are you planning on giving any apples out with an apology today? Or did you receive one? Share in the comments!