Tuesday, 14 February 2012
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Valentine's Day in Japan
Should it be any different from everywhere else in the world? Well, I don't know if it should but thanks to commercialism, it is.
In this part of the world, the "sacred" Vday is not only for couples but for everyone. On this special day of February, the guys just need to sit back, relax and wait for their female colleagues/classmates/friends to drop chocolates on their laps. And these chocolates have a name - Girichoko (literally translated as Obligation Chocolates). It is basically the chocolates that ladies are obliged to buy to offer to their male colleagues and bosses. They usually cost less than 1,000 yen per box but imagine having to buy for the guys in the entire team and in all the teams one works with!
Sounds scary, doesn't it? The upside is that a month down the road, on White Day (March 14), the guys who received the girichocos on Vday are expected to return the favour with even nicer chocolates or biscuits. Not so bad after all?
(Handmade chocolate section in Tokyu Hands)
These days, from the typical girichoko (obligation chocolates) and honmei choko (chocolates from the heart for the special someone), new types of chocolates are born. They are namely, Tomochoko (chocolates exchanged amongst girl pals), Jibunchoko (chocolates one buys for herself) and Gyakuchoco (chocolates to reverse the trend where a guy takes initiative to give chocolates to a girl on Vday).
This year, the ladies in my team decided not to give Girichoko to our male colleagues, riding on the excuse that Vday will fall on a weekend and "times are bad, so we gotta cut our budgets." Oops. Let's just hope the boys won't be too disappointed!
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- From: morningmoka@xanga
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Comments (30)
omg I love this V Day tradition in Japan. It's open to everyone not just lovers. Why don't we have that in more countries? Though there's nothing wrong with buying your friends chocolates, or even yourself!
Not to mention the after Valentine's Day sales of candy.
Yummy!♥
I don't like how commercialism has ruined most holidays. It has covered up the meaning of holidays with the idea that you HAVE to buy gifts for someone. I personally would just want to spend a special day with my valentine(If I had one of course) and watch movies all day. Maybe throw in a romance movie in there for the special occasion. Gifts are unnecessary for me unless there is true love behind that said gift.
Om nom nom nom!
@millionofstars@xanga - we do have that! just only in elementary school, haha. my teachers always had the rule that you either had to buy it for everyone in your gender, or everyone in the class. probably for the better with regards to my self-esteem. i don't think i'd have ever gotten any candy haha.
I don't like the idea of obligated. You go buy your own damn candy. I don't like spending money on others unless it's for a good reason and I choose to do so.
I heard something different regarding Valentine's Day in Japan (please correct me if I'm wrong). I heard that a girl only had to buy chocolates/small presents for a guy she is interested in or dating. And then on March 14 the guys who received chocolate/presents from a girl can return the favor, but only if he is interested too!
Anyway, I give Valentines cards to my pre-k day care kids and cards/small presents to my close friends and family every year. Sure commercialism makes it feel like an obligation to some, but for me its just an excuse to remind people that i love them
I've always loved Japanese Vday. In the rare years that I do participate in Vday, I participate the Japanese way.
They also have White Day on March 14th where the Guys buy the ladies girichoko in return, as mentioned above, but this day, too, can be for anyone. I've given chocolate on White Day to my female students, even if they gave me nothing on Valentine's Day.
@TheNotoriousGOD@xanga - we were assigned people for the holidays with a take-home note. I was a misfit. I made my box into a computer, which is my favortie thing in the world.
You see, if Valentine's Day were the same here as it were in Japan, no one would be bitter about it and I'd like it a helluva lot more of people were obligated to give the class weirdo chocolates. Hell, I'd even make an effort to return the favor. I simply love Japan's collectivist culture.
very cool to learn new things!
but chocolate are just chocolate to me.. lol
I love that tradition, I saw it in an anime one time, I thought it was very sweet :) I like the idea that there are separate days for girls to give to boys and vice versa :D
I saw this in Ah! My Goddess and my fiance had to explain it to me. Cool tradition ;3
@loneshadow_wolf@xanga - give me chocolate!!! :p
@TheNotoriousGOD@xanga - You better get me something nice for White Day then >:]
Yay fun! I think Whites Day is neat..
what do the people who hate chocolate do with the piles of chocolate they get?
@SweetNGuilty@xanga - stockpile it in preparation for the zombie apocalypse.
@Peppermint__Kisses@xanga - thanks for the idea! i didn't know that zombies liked chocolate ^^
Totally doing this next year. When I was younger I would pull together some money to buy a dozen cheap roses and then ride my bike around the neighborhood and drop them at my female neighbor friends houses :) good times.
Or you guys won't be offended when they do the same, come White Day. Best wishes.
I'm thankful that's not how it is here. I couldn't afford it. :( I couldn't even really afford a decent gift for my Hubby this year. I got him a card, and I baked some brownies with some strawberry icing. That's it. All I could afford. Actually, more than I could afford, but hey. My sweetie is worth it, even if I don't get to eat out a day or two. ;) hehe. But yeah.
I hear they have this tradition (and the complimentary "white day") in Korea, too!
I have to remind my bf to give me chocolates on March 14th... ^_^
just because I love chocolates!! <3
i think they do this also in korea~
Apparently I performed this tradition unknowingly this year.