White Day: Difference between revisions

'''White Day''' is celebrated annually on March 14, one month after [[Valentine's Day]], when people give reciprocal gifts to those who gave them gifts on Valentine's Day. It began in [[Japan]] in 1978; its observance has spread to several other Asian[[East Asia]]n nations like [[China]], [[Taiwan]], [[South Korea]] and countries worldwide.

Though Valentine's Day was first attempted to be celebrated in [[Japan]] in 1936, it did not begin to be popularly celebrated until the 1970s, giving the day a different observation from in the West.<ref name=Gordenker2006 /> It was primarily an opportunity for girls to show that they like a boy.<ref name=Gordenker2006>{{cite news |last=Gordenker |first=Alice |date=March 21, 2006 |title=White Day |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2006/03/21/reference/white-day/#.Xnr0L-pKhhE |work=Japan Times |access-date=March 24, 2020 |archive-date=December 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206091734/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2006/03/21/reference/white-day/#.Xnr0L-pKhhE |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1977, a [[Fukuoka, Fukuoka|Fukuoka]]-based confectionery company, [[{{Ill|Ishimuramanseido]]|ja|石村萬盛堂}}, marketed [[marshmallow]]s to men on March 14, calling it {{nihongo |Marshmallow Day|マシュマロデー|Mashumaro Dē}}.<ref name="Iroha" /> White Day was first celebrated in 1978 in Japan.<ref name = "Iroha" /> The National Confectionery Industry Association started it 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]].<ref name="Iroha" />

Soon thereafter, confectionery companies began marketing [[white chocolate]]. Flowers and other gifts are also given on this day.<ref>{{cite news |last=Horiuchi |first=Junko |date=March 11, 2020 |title=Florists promoting flower power as coronavirus sees celebrations canceled |url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/03/297dcdada376-feature-florists-promoting-flower-power-as-virus-sees-celebrations-canceled.html |agency=Kyodo News |access-date=March 14, 2020 |archive-date=December 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206091830/https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/03/297dcdada376-feature-florists-promoting-flower-power-as-virus-sees-celebrations-canceled.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

White Day is celebrated one month after [[Valentine's Day#Japan|Valentine's Day]], on March 14. InWith countries that observe White Day, typically Valentine's Day is celebrated by women and girls presenting chocolate gifts (either store-bought or handmade), usually to the other men and boys, as an expression of love, courtesy, or social obligation.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nippon.com/en/features/jg00025/valentine%E2%80%99s-day-and-white-day.html |title=Valentine's Day and White Day |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=February 13, 2020 |website=Nippon.com |publisher=The Nippon Communications Foundation |access-date=March 14, 2020 |archive-date=December 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206091850/https://www.nippon.com/en/features/jg00025/valentine%E2%80%99s-day-and-white-day.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On White Day, the reverse happens: men who received a {{nihongo3 |'chocolate of love'|本命チョコ|[[Honmei choco|honmei-choco]]}} or {{nihongo3 |'courtesy chocolate'|義理チョコ|[[Giri choco|giri-choco]]}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.japantravelinfo.com/blog/valentines-day-white-day-in-japan/ |title=Valentine's Day & White Day in Japan |publisher=[[Japan National Tourism Organization]] |access-date=March 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140504234139/http://www.japantravelinfo.com/blog/valentines-day-white-day-in-japan/ |archive-date=May 4, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> on Valentine's Day are expected to return the favor by giving gifts to the women.<ref name="uh">{{cite web |url=http://www.crosscurrents.hawaii.edu/content.aspx?lang=eng&site=japan&theme=cal&subtheme=CULTURHOL&unit=JCAL018 |title=White Day (March 14) |work=Cross Currents |publisher=[[University of Hawaii]] |access-date=March 13, 2013 |archive-date=October 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025081846/http://www.crosscurrents.hawaii.edu/content.aspx?lang=eng&site=japan&theme=cal&subtheme=CULTURHOL&unit=JCAL018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Gift exchanges happen between romantic partners, friends, and coworkers.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Tatiana|first=Garcia|url=https://www.buyusa.gov/japan/build/groups/public/@bg_jp/documents/webcontent/bg_jp_099195.pdf|title=A Study of Japan's Valentine's and White Day Markets|date=April 2016|work=U.S. Commercial Service|access-date=April 25, 2020|editor-last=Okamoto|editor-first=Yoshiko|archive-date=May 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170514234122/http://buyusa.gov/japan/build/groups/public/@bg_jp/documents/webcontent/bg_jp_099195.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Traditionally, popular White Day gifts include food like white chocolate, marshmallows, candy, cookies, and other "white" accessories like jewelry, bags, lotions, and lingerie.<ref>{{Citation |title=Culture |date=February 13, 2024 |publisher=Japan 101 |url=http://www.japan-101.com/culture/valentines_day.htm |contribution=Valentine's day |access-date=November 25, 2009 |archive-date=January 3, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100103202518/http://japan-101.com/culture/valentines_day.htm |url-status=live }}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tokyocheapo.com/travel/holidays/white-day-affordable-ways-to-return-the-love/|title=White Day: Affordable Ways to Return the Love {{!}} Tokyo Cheapo|last=Mineta|first=Grace|date=March 10, 2016|website=Tokyo Cheapo|language=en-US|access-date=April 25, 2020|archive-date=December 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206091918/https://tokyocheapo.com/travel/holidays/white-day-affordable-ways-to-return-the-love/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Sometimes the term {{nihongo3 |'triple the return'|三倍返し|sanbai gaeshi}} is used to describe the generally recited rule for men that the return gift should be two to three times the worth of the Valentine's gift they received.<ref name="Iroha">{{Citation |script-title=ja:ホワイトデー |url=http://iroha-japan.net/iroha/A01_event/06_wd.html |trans-title=White Day |publisher=Japanese Culture Iroha Dictionary |language=ja |access-date=February 23, 2008 |archive-date=March 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328030115/http://iroha-japan.net/iroha/A01_event/06_wd.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the latter half of the 2010s, sales figures indicated a decline in the popularity of the observation. It was seen as a result of reduced sales of obligation chocolates on Valentine's Day. Another reason given for the reduction of popularity is the changing [[Gender inequality in Japan#Gender roles through traditions and modern society|gender roles within Japanese culture]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Lufkin |first=Bryan |date=March 14, 2019 |title=White Day: Japan's reverse Valentine's Day |url=https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190313-white-day-japans-reverse-valentines-day |publisher=BBC |location=United Kingdom |access-date=March 13, 2020 |archive-date=December 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206092015/https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190313-white-day-japans-reverse-valentines-day |url-status=live }}</ref>

Outside of Japan, the practice of giving response gifts one month after Valentine's Day has spread internationally. In those cultures, White Day is, for the most part, observed similarly. Some places where this occurs include China,<ref name="PCI2019">{{cite news |last=Manalaysay |first=Bae Kirstein T. |date=March 14, 2019 |title=Valentine's Day Part II: Filipinos and White Day |url=https://www.canadianinquirer.net/2019/03/14/valentines-day-part-ii-filipinos-and-white-day/ |work=Philippine Canadian Inquirer |location=Canada |access-date=March 14, 2020 |quote=Nope, this is not a day solely dedicated to honor the color white or something like that, but it is directly related to Valentine's Day, that originated in Japan and is practiced in its neighboring countries such as China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Vietnam. |archive-date=December 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206092036/https://www.canadianinquirer.net/2019/03/14/valentines-day-part-ii-filipinos-and-white-day/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.china.org.cn/archive/2007-03/13/content_1202804.htm |title=White Day Triggers Consumption Enthusiasm |work=china.org.cn |publisher=China Internet Information Center |access-date=March 13, 2014 |archive-date=December 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206092055/http://www.china.org.cn/archive/2007-03/13/content_1202804.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> South Korea,<ref name="Forbes2018">{{cite news|last=Adelstein|first=Jake|date=March 13, 2018|title=How Japan Created White Day, East Asia's Alternate Valentine's Day|work=Forbes|location=United States|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/adelsteinjake/2018/03/13/how-japan-created-white-day-east-asias-alternate-valentines-day/|access-date=March 13, 2020|archive-date=December 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206091956/https://www.forbes.com/sites/adelsteinjake/2018/03/13/how-japan-created-white-day-east-asias-alternate-valentines-day/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="PCI2019" /><ref name="VOA2018">{{cite news |last1=Goto |first1=Rei |last2=Thompson |first2=Ashley |date=February 13, 2020 |title=Valentine's Day Traditions Around the World |url=https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/valentines-day-traditions-around-the-world/4252123.html |publisher=Voice of America |access-date=March 14, 2020 |archive-date=December 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206092135/https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/valentines-day-traditions-around-the-world/4252123.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Taiwan,<ref name="Forbes2018" /><ref name="PCI2019" /> and Vietnam.<ref name="PCI2019" /><ref name="VOA2018" />

[[Category:EastCulture Asianof East cultureAsia]]