Written by Helen Hong from Grade 11
In November, a month full of gratitude, the second annual “Pocky Day” arrived. Pocky Day, having originated in Japan and South Korea, occurs on November 11 every year. In this ‘festival’ of spreading and highlighting happiness, friends give Pocky boxes to each other. When Pocky Day first arrived at SUIS Qingpu campus, we made it our ‘little angel’ for expressing our gratitude to each other.
Students and teachers express their gratitude by ‘booking’ Pocky boxes, attaching individually crafted messages to them and then giving them to those they wish to thank. Some ‘givers’ are shy people who don’t wish to be named, while others want to boldly let the receivers know their real name. Whether it’s a ‘real name’ Pocky or an ‘anonymous’ Pocky, each small box of biscuit sticks is full of thanks!
“You should remember those who hold you tight in the dark, those who make you laugh, those who chat with you all night, those who visit you by car, those who pass by you, those who always attach great importance to you, those who walk around with you and those who say they miss you. It is these people who make up the warmth in your life bit by bit. It is the warmth that keeps you away from the haze. It is also the warmth that makes you a kind person.”
—— Haruki Murakami
To Pocky Day we added another special part: Twin Dress Day. Students with exclusive bracelets can team up with friends, wear the same clothes, and be ‘twins’ for a day.
This Pocky Day was hosted by the Charity Club, and all the money collected will be donated to designated public welfare institutions. Big thanks go to the members of the Charity Club and Multimedia Club who used their break times to send Pocky boxes to everyone!
