The country of the rising sun is one of the most beautiful and ancient lands in the world. Steeped in history, Japanese legends have known how to remain, passing from generation to generation. Its ancient temples, its ancient clothing and exotic symbols are combined with other more recent traditions, in which the Japanese realize the depth and varied nuances of their culture. white day in japan is one of them.
In Japan, love has served as the basis for the most beautiful legends, such as the one that speaks of the red thread of fate, and how we are connected to our true love from birth. The white day in Japan is also counted among the traditions that make love its protagonist. It is a curious custom that is believed to have an origin clearly associated with marketing and sales, but over time it has become part of people’s hearts. Join us in Supercurioso to discover what white day in Japan is all about.
What is White Day celebrated in Japan?
white day or white day It is a charming festivity that is born on February 14, Valentine’s Day. Precisely, Valentine’s Day in Japan is full of particularities that we only find in this country. While all over the world, it is a date in which lovers express their love through gifts, in the Japanese country it has some variants.
It’s only the boys who get the legendary ones chokorate or chocolates, as a sign of love, affection or friendship. Now, Japanese Valentine’s is full of gifts for the gentlemen, but none for the girls!
This is precisely why white day arises in Japan and manages to spread to South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. It is a tradition that is celebrated just one month later, March 14. That day, men must return a gift to women, thanking them for the gesture.
The types of chocolates on white day in Japan
Japanese traditions are anything but basic and boring and the white day in Japan proves it well. We already know that it is a special date, in which the boys return to the girls the gifts that they gave during Valentine’s Day. But it is not just any gift. It does not matter any type of chocolate. Each sweet hides a special symbology and a fairly clear message. Let’s see what are the main ones.
1. The Giri Choko
The translation of this term would be “obligatory chocolate”. These are simple chocolates that can be bought in any store, without representing a hole in the budget. They are used for both Valentine’s Day and White Day in Japan, and are given as gifts in work or student environments. They are the chocolates that are given to co-workers or classmates, as part of a social norm.
2. I take them Choko
These sweets have another nuance of importance. It is about “chocolates for friends”. It is usually given as a sincere display of affection., and their packaging is more delicate or involves a greater degree of effort. It is the case that they are given away between friends of the same sex.
3. The Honmei choko
It is the most special chocolate of the white day celebration in Japan. It implies the gift that is made to the person with whom love is shared, be your girlfriend, your wife, or the girl you like. About this sweet is the tradition that it is a really special piece, and wrapped in beautiful packages.
What is the origin of the Japanese White Day?
The first time White Day was celebrated in Japan was on March 14, 1978. Its origin was part of a skillful movement of the confectionery industry in the country, to boost its sales. It is known that around February 14, a tenacious advertising effort is deployed, and hundreds and hundreds of kilos of chocolates and sweets are sold in Japan. The industry then saw an opportunity to exploit.
Under the argument that men should return the gesture of the gift to women, the white day was devised in Japan. The direct precedent can be found in 1977, when a well-known confectionery company in the Fukuoka region began to market marshmallows.
The company was called Ishimura Manseido. The initiative came from one of its executives, who had read a letter in a women’s magazine in which the woman who wrote it lamented the fact that men did not return the gesture. «Why don’t they give anything? A handkerchief, candy, even marshmallows…”
It was then that the company’s managers took the lead, seeing an interesting opportunity. They consulted the women who worked there on an ideal date, and reached an agreement on March 14. Under the slogan “I would like to take the chocolate I received from you, and wrap it with my white heart.” they created a new candy: a chocolate-filled marshmallow paste. That was how the date started calling itself marshmallow day.
Soon the other companies in the industry grasped the potential of the idea and joined the initiative. The name of the date was changed to white day in Japan, to make the concept broader. Then white chocolate would begin to become popular in different and creative presentations. This is where the definitive name of the white day or white day in Japan comes from, although over time the customs became more flexible, adding different types of sweets and gifts, in addition to the legendary marshmallows and rich chocolate.
The choice of white color and white chocolate was considered a symbol of purity. In the powerful Japanese symbology, this color refers to pure, innocent and true love, which people often experience in their teenage years.
What are the most common gifts?
At the beginning of the white day in Japan, the most usual thing was that the girls were entertained with black and white chocolates, cookies, marshmallows and other edibles. Then it became popular to give away flowers, jewelry, accessories and even underwear. Over time the term became established sanbai gaeshiwhich means that the man must return to the girl who gave him chocolates, a gift that is equivalent to three times the value of what he received.
Even, it is a date in which many girls feed the expectation that their lovers will give them expensive jewelry or luxury gifts. If the man who was treated to chocolates on Valentine’s Day does not return any gifts on White Day in Japan, this attitude will be considered a show of contempt, which the young woman must understand at once.
Instead, if the guy returns an equal amount of chocolates, it will give the message that he wants to end the relationship. Other superstitions and customs associated with white day in Japan are also added, such as the fact that if someone gives cookies, they will be saying “I love you.” The assorted candies mean “I like you” and the initial white chocolate now symbolizes the message “we can be friends.”
If you are passionate about exquisite Japanese culture and all its nuances, Do not miss this selection of the best japanese proverbs, in which you can travel in the most beautiful culture of the country of the rising sun. And, if you are looking for how to accompany a Valentine’s gift, be sure to read these love phrases for february 14.