White Day is celebrated annually on March 14, one month after

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...

, when people give reciprocal gifts to those who gave them gifts received on Valentine's Day. It began in Japan in 1978; since then, its observance has spread to several other Asian nations.

Origin

Though Valentine's Day was first attempted to be celebrated in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

in 1936, it did not begin to be popularly celebrated until the 1970s, giving the day a different observation than in the West. It was primarily an opportunity for girls to show that they like a boy. In 1977, a

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since anc ...

-based confectionery company, Ishimuramanseido, marketed

marshmallow Marshmallow (, ) is a type of confectionery that is typically made from sugar, water and gelatin whipped to a solid-but-soft consistency. It is used as a filling in baking or normally molded into shapes and coated with corn starch. The sugar c ...

s to men on March 14, calling it . White Day was first celebrated in 1978 in Japan. It was started by the National Confectionery Industry Association as an "answer day" to Valentine's Day on the grounds that men should pay back the women who gave them

chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec ci ...

and other gifts on

. Soon thereafter, confectionery companies began marketing

white chocolate White chocolate is a confectionery typically made of sugar, milk, and cocoa butter. It is pale ivory colored, and lacks many of the compounds found in milk and dark chocolates. It is solid at room temperature because the melting point of cocoa ...

. 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 Lingerie (, , ) is a category of primarily women's clothing including undergarments (mainly brassieres), sleepwear, and lightweight robes. The choice of the word is often motivated by an intention to imply that the garments are alluring, fash ...

, to women from whom they received chocolate on Valentine's Day one month earlier. Flowers and other gifts are also given on this day.

Observation

White Day is celebrated one month after

, on March 14. In countries which observe White Day, typically

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. On White Day, the reverse happens: men who received a or on Valentine's Day are expected to return the favor by giving gifts to the women. Gift exchanges happen between romantic partners, friends, and coworkers. Traditionally, popular White Day gifts include food like white chocolate, marshmallows, candy, and cookies, and other "white" accessories like jewelry, bags, lotions, and lingerie. Nowadays, gifts do not have to be white. Sometimes the term 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. In the latter half of the 2010s, sales figures indicated a decline in popularity of the observation. It was seen as a result from the reduction of sales of obligation chocolates on Valentines Day. Another reason given for the reduction of popularity is the changing gender roles within Japanese culture.

International observation

Outside of Japan, the practice of giving response gifts one month after Valentines Day has spread internationally. In those cultures, White Day is for the most part observed in a similar manner. Some places where this occurs include China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

References

External links

* {{authority control Japanese popular culture South Korean popular culture Chinese popular culture Taiwanese culture East Asian culture Unofficial observances March observances Chocolate industry Intimate relationships Giving 1978 introductions Days celebrating love Love

Origin

Observation

International observation

See also

References

External links