Picture Perfect Paranoia

Thanks to a certain individual, I had to be reminded of the day that is the answer to the now-profit-oriented Valentine’s Day. That is White Day.

On March 14th, exactly one month after Valentine’s Day, men who were lucky enough to receive gifts of chocolate have the chance to return the favor by giving the women who gave them gifts of chocolate a more expensive box of chocolate or sweets (for some reason or other, these return gifts seem to be priced slightly higher than those the women purchase). Again, the stores provide plenty of reminders of the approach of this day so that even the most forgetful man cannot say that it slipped his mind. The gifts of chocolate that men buy are in white boxes (after all, it is “White Day”) and come with separate shopping bags to put them in.¹

Now why the color white and not the opposite color of red? Don’t know, don’t ask. All I know is the certain “hidden obligation” men who have received gifts (whether in the form of chocolate or not²) from women they have or not have close relationship with have to reciprocate.

I have no personal pangs with the holiday itself. What I am rather discontent with is the fact that, like its “counterpart”, it’s being obligation“, to put it loosely. I am faintly familiar with the culture and I respect that. Let’s just put that thing into a proper perspective.

I just remembered that I have posted about Valentine’s Day before on this blog, and it’s a year or two ago. It’s a tongue-in cheek remark, and you can read it here.

All I have to say is that.

Oh, and speaking of colors, there’s another wacky holiday in the works. And it’s supposed to not exist if it werent’ for the notion of “commercialization”. Take a wild guess.³

References:

1. ¹Valentine’s Day and White Day in Japan By: Billy Hammond
2. ²MIT Japan Cultural Notes: White Day - March 14
3. ³Another Wacky Holiday for Japan - Japan Probe
4. http://www.merriam-webster.com/
5. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wiktionary:Main_Page