Happy White Day To All!
Wishing everyone a Happy White Day. Guys, it’s time to return the favour to the girls!
So what is White Day???
White Day is a growing tradition that was created through a concentrated marketing effort in Japan. White Day is celebrated in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and some other East Asian countries on March 14, one month after Valentine’s Day. On Valentine’s Day, women give gifts to men; on White Day, men who received chocolate on Valentine’s Day return the favor and give gifts to women. This holiday is starting to gain popularity in Hong Kong, where Japanese influence is strong. The observance of Valentine’s Day in Japan, particularly among students, is somewhat different than in the West. Valentine’s day is mainly for the girls to present chocolates (either store-bought or handmade) to the boy of their choice. The concept of “Giri-Choco” (Japanese: 義理チョコ), which translates as “Obligatory Chocolate”, has also developed, where a girl will give chocolate to those close to her (co-workers, for example) but in whom she has no romantic interest. When White Day rolls around, it is the boy’s turn to return the gift in what is called “sanbai-gaeshi” (3倍返し) or “triple return”, since the gift the boy gives is supposed to be three times the value of the gift received initially.
