Pocky & Pretz Day

The story

Pocky is a thin, crunchy biscuit stick dipped in chocolate, made by the Osaka confectioner Ezaki Glico since 1966. The design leaves a short uncoated section at one end so the stick can be held without getting chocolate on your fingers. The name comes from "pokkin," the Japanese sound of the stick snapping.

Pocky quickly became one of Japan's best-loved snacks and is now sold in more than 30 countries, in flavors ranging from strawberry and matcha to almond crush and regional limited editions. Its savory sibling, Pretz, is an unglazed pretzel stick that Glico launched in 1962.

Pocky & Pretz Day falls on November 11 because the date written as 11/11 looks like four sticks standing side by side. Glico has promoted the day with nationwide campaigns since 1999. In 2012 the campaign set a Guinness World Record for the most mentions of a brand name on Twitter in 24 hours, then broke its own record the following year.

On Pocky & Pretz Day, people in Japan share boxes with friends and coworkers, play the Pocky game, and try new limited flavors. Celebrate by sharing a box with someone.