White Day
White Day (ホワイトデー, Howaito dē, a Japanese wasei-eigo[1]) is a holiday celebrated on March 14, one month after Valentine's Day. In Japan this day is a widespread holiday, much like Valentine's Day. It is also observed in South Korea and Taiwan.
In Japan
In Japan, Valentine's Day is observed by females who present chocolate gifts (either store-bought or handmade), usually to a male, as an expression of love. The handmade chocolate is usually preferred by the receiver, because it is a sign that the receiving male is the girl's "only one". On White Day, the converse happens: males who received a honmei-choco (本命チョコ, "chocolate of love") or giri-choco (義理チョコ, "courtesy chocolate") on Valentine's Day are expected to return the favor by giving gifts, usually more expensive. Traditionally, popular White Day gifts are cookies, jewellery, white chocolate, white lingerie and marshmallows.[2] Sometimes the term sanbai gaeshi (三倍返し, literally, "thrice the return") is used to describe the generally recited rule that the return gift should be two to three times the cost of the Valentine's gift.[3]
In South Korea
White Day is also observed in South Korea, with an additional later Black Day observed for those sharing singleness.[4] However, in South Korea White Day is the day that women give gifts to men in return for gifts that men have given women on Valentine's day.
Origin
White Day was first celebrated in 1978 in Japan. It was started by the National Confectionery Industry Association (全国飴菓子工業協同組合) 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. In 1977 a Fukuoka-based confectionery company, Ishimura Manseido (石村萬盛堂), marketed marshmallows to men on March 14, calling it Marshmallow Day (マシュマロデー).[5]
Soon thereafter, confectionery companies began marketing white chocolate. Now, men give both white and dark chocolate, as well as other edible and non-edible gifts, such as jewelry or objects of sentimental value, or white clothing like lingerie, to women from whom they received chocolate on Valentine's Day one month earlier. If the chocolate given to him was giri-choko, the man, likewise, may not be expressing actual romantic interest, but rather a social obligation.