The Origin of White Day
source: https://galitravel.ru
We all heard about Valentine’s day. It is annually celebrated on the 14th of February. We usually celebrate valentine as a day of love and give chocolate to our partner. However, in Japan, this day is celebrated in a different way. There, the women give chocolate to the men. The chocolate itself has two different types which are the “Giri” Choco and “Honmei” Choco. The first one is intended for colleagues, boss and male friends. The latter though, is given to male crush, boyfriend or husband. Usually, Honmei Choco is hand-made by the women as a form of love and they think store-bought chocolate is not a true representation of love.
Aside Valentine day, the Japanese also has White Day which is celebrated on the 14 March. In this day, the men have to answer or reply the chocolate given by the women from the previous Valentine’s day. Also, the chocolate given is usually white in accordance to the day’s name: White Day. Flowers, candies and also gifts are also given with the chocolate.
White Day was first celebrated in 1977. White Day was started by the National Confectionery Industry Association as an “answer day” to Valentine’s Day on the grounds that men should pay back the women who gave them chocolate and other gifts on Valentine’s Day. Eventually, this practice spread to the neighboring East Asian countries of China and Vietnam. In those cultures, White Day is for the most part observed in a similar manner.
