SEVEN CURIOSITIES ABOUT JAPANESE WHITE DAY

White Day (ホワイトデ) is celebrated in Japan every 14 March - exactly one month after Valentine's Day, of which it is a "direct child" - and is a very heartfelt anniversary in the country of the Rising Sun, especially among the younger ones . We have collected seven curiosities that you absolutely must know about this festival.

Saint Valentine. As we told youhere , Japanese Valentine's Day is a special celebration, with a broader vision of love than the "Western" one. It is the girls who give chocolate to friends, relatives and the desired person: a special chocolate, Honmei-choko (本命チョコ) is reserved for the latter and the person who receives it will have to respond in turn during White Day .

honmei-choko-tenoha

Traditional Honmei-coko often handmade © Naomi Nikola

Kokuhaku, the love confession. Love in Japan is experienced with great respect and depth: expressing one's feelings takes time, as does reciprocating them. This is why, unlike the traditional custom regarding the exchange of gifts in Japanese culture, according to which once a gift has been received it must be reciprocated as quickly as possible, White Day occurs only one month after Valentine's Day.
An entirely Japanese invention. The anniversary took hold in Japan in 1978, taking inspiration from a custom already present in the city of Fukoka: on the same day "Marshmallow Day" (マシュマロデ) was celebrated, in which the boys who accepted the proposal received on Valentine's Day , they gave sweet marshmallows to their loved ones.

A loving couple © Team Japanese

The rules. On White Day, the boys who accept the declaration of love must buy or prepare chocolate that is white in color and three times more expensive (this is called sanbai gaeshi , "three times back") than the one they received. In recent times, the repertoire of gifts has expanded: sweets, soft toys, jewelery or underwear are welcome, as long as they are white. Those who have no intention of committing cannot however escape the answer: in this case they opt for Tomo-Choko , the friend's chocolate, an elegant refusal.

5. Pop culture. Being celebrated almost exclusively by young people, White Day has become part of Japanese pop culture, so much so that it is represented in many contemporary Japanese manga, anime and video games. In Ore Monogatari , for example, a romantic female anime, the grumpy Takeo Gōda prepares, on the occasion of the party, small white pastries for his beloved, the sweet little Rinko Yamato. This celebration, however, has also been represented in "other ways": in a horror-style video game of the same name, for example, the story begins on this very day, when the protagonist gives his beloved a late-night date inside the school but, instead of being able to confess his love to her, he finds himself running away from a disturbing presence.

White Day around the world. The holiday has also been made official in South Korea and Taiwan, albeit with different dynamics: in the first case, for example, it is called Black Day and is celebrated every April 14th. Those who have not received anything in the previous months must eat a dish of black beans to feel sorry for themselves.
White Day in Italy. Although it is not official, this anniversary is becoming very popular in Italy too: represented in romantic comedies and Shōjo manga, it is very widespread and celebrated among fans of anime and the Japanese world. Who knows, it may not be imported soon!

SEVEN CURIOSITIES ABOUT JAPANESE WHITE DAY

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