White Day is a popular holiday celebrated March 14 in Japan. But to understand White Day, you have to understand that Valentine’s Day in Japan is quite different.
In Japan, Valentine’s Day is a day where only girls give chocolates to boys. There are two types of chocolates: “giri-choco” or “honmei-choco,” each of which symbolize different meanings. Giri-choco, which is usually store-bought, is more understandably known as “obligation chocolates,” and are given to close male friends, colleagues, and etc. In other words, obligation chocolates are given with no romantic motives.
Honmei-choco, however, are reserved for lovers, boyfriends, and husbands. They are also almost always hand-made by the girl since most Japanese females seem to believe that it cannot be true love unless the chocolates are home-made.
But on White Day, exactly one month after Valentine’s Day, boys who were given honmei-chocolates are expected to return the favor with either white chocolates, jewelry, flowers, candies, or lingerie.
Considering the fact that now-past Valentine’s Day in the US is celebrated with gifts mostly given by the male partner, we can switch it around for White Day and have the girls return the romantic favor instead. It’s fun, cute, romantic, and thoughtful all at once. Most guys may not even expect it, which will only make them love it more. White Day is not yet a popular event in the US and as a result, it’s not commercialized. But there is all the more reason to prepare home-made gifts and chocolates. So if you’ve never made home-made chocolates before, it could definitely be something fun and new to try.