찹쌀떡[Chapssaltteok]: Glutinous rice cake

[julialim]

찹쌀떡[Chapssaltteok]: Glutinous rice cake
We give this rice cake to people who have an important exam. (before the exam)

-Several days ago, there was the College Scholastic Aptitude Test(수능시험/su-neung-si-heom) in Korea.

시험[siheom]: a test

Do you know why we present this rice cake before the exam?

[Gudrun]

Is it so the knowledge will stick in the students' minds and they'll do well on the exam? (Or is it so luck will stick to the students?)

Those rice cakes are so beautiful. I wish I knew where to buy them in the U.S.

[julialim]

찹쌀떡[Chapssaltteok]: Glutinous rice cake

찹쌀 is "sticky rice or sweet rice" in English and 떡 is "rice cake".
So this rice cake is sticky. of course.
Let's see.....
합격하다[hapgyeokhada] - to pass (a test)
or We say "붙다"[butda] - literally to stick (to) <It means "to pass (a test) in Korean>
(시험에) 합격하다 = (시험에) 붇다 / 시험[siheom]: a test
Wish someone could stick right to 합격[hapgyeok] / Wish someone the best of luck
This is the origin.

엿[yeot]: taffy could be instead of 찹쌀떡. It is the same origin as 찹쌀떡.