Korean Job Discussion Forums

[KimchiExplosion]

I've started to notice that many of my elementary school boys have started wearing nail polish lately. They especially favor orange, red, and pink. Is this some kind of new trend?

[Theda]

It's a seasonal thing. There is some sort of flower (?) that blooms in Autumn which you can rub on your fingernails to dye them an orange colour usually. Both this Autumn and last I've seen boys in my classes with nails they dyed like this.

[jaderedux2]

Rumor has it that if the color lasts until the first snow you will marry your true love. It is some kind of fall tradition.

Girls in my school love it cuz they can pretend they are wearing fingernail polish. LOL.

Jade

[Boodleheimer]

... i thought that was iodine! i was wondering why so many kids would put iodine on their nails...

[Atavistic]

I thought it was when it grows out you'll meet your true love?

In any case--it's a flower thing.

[Freakstar]

[KimchiExplosion]

Thanks. I figured there would be some logical explanation

[Young FRANKenstein]

[yingwenlaoshi]

I can't believe some of you didn't/don't know that they get that from flowers.

Don't you speak to your students? Ask them? Geez, what great teachers you must be.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Actually, I've seen some boys with actual nail polish. One recently had nail polish on his toes. I asked him, "Why? You're a boy." Then he showed me some red marks on his legs. Apparently his mom wasn't too impressed with him doing that and pinched his legs and sent him to his room.

[yingwenlaoshi]

The flower, or the paste they make, is called "bongsunghwa". They don't dye all the fingers and I think the forefinger is never dyed.

I've seen boys with it, too.

[princess]

One of my elementary boys has his thumbnail painted pink. It's not your traditional orange flower stuff.

[pkang0202]

[yingwenlaoshi]

[Qinella]