User:Sarmick123/White day

Observation[ edit]
White day is a holiday celebrated one month after Valentine's Day, on March 14th. On Valentine's Day, girls and women present chocolate gifts (either store-bought or homemade), usually to boys or men, as an expression of love, courtesy, or social obligation. Some types of chocolate gifts are honmei-choco (本命チョコ, 'chocolate of love') or giri-choco (義理チョコ, 'courtesy chocolate').

On White Day, the reverse happens: men who received a gift on Valentine's Day are expected to return the favor by giving gifts back to the women. Gift exchanges happen between romantic partners, friends, and coworkers. Popular White Day gifts include white chocolate, marshmallows, candy, cookies, and other "white" accessories like jewelry, bags, and lotions. Nowadays, gifts don't have to be white.

Sometimes the term sanbai gaeshi (三倍返し, 'triple the return') is used to describe the generally recited rule for men that the return gift should be three times the worth of the Valentine's gift.

Origin[ edit]
It is speculated that White Day originated in 1977, by a confectionery company in Fukuoka called Ishimuramanseido (石村萬盛堂). Zengo Ishimura, a company executive, reportedly read a letter in a women's magazine reading “It’s not really fair that men get chocolate from women on Valentine’s Day but they don’t return the favor. Why don’t they give us something? A handkerchief, candy, even marshmallows...” He created a marshmallow sweet stuffed with chocolate, and helped market a new holiday called Marshmallow Day (マシュマロデー, Mashumaro Dē) on March 14th. The company specifically marketed their white marshmallow products towards men as return gifts for Valentine's Day. Their slogan was, “I would like to take the chocolate I received from you, and wrap it with my white heart.” Marshmallow Day didn't stick, but in 1978 the National Confectionery Industry Association (全国飴菓子工業協同組合) called March 14th White Day. The reason behind the naming is because the color white is the color of sugar, and it is meant to evoke images of pure, sweet love. By the 1980's, White Day was celebrated all across Japan.

Now, men give both white and dark chocolate, as well as other edible and non-edible gifts, such as jewelry, or white clothing like lingerie, to women from whom they received chocolate on Valentine's Day. Eventually, this practice spread to the neighboring East Asian countries of China and some of its territories, such as Hong Kong, as well as Taiwan and Vietnam. In those countries, White Day is observed in a similar manner.

Celebration
Japan

In 2014, White Day had a market value of around $578 million.

Korea

In Korea, White Day is celebrated by men gifting chocolate or flowers. Singles who do not receive gifts on Valentine's Day or White Day may celebrate an unofficial holiday called Black Day (블랙데이) on April 14th, exactly one month after White Day.

Criticisms
[Chapter on Masculinity's Intersection w/ White Day]

In Popular Culture
White Day has been referenced in various anime.

Episode 21 of My Love Story!!

Episode 7 of Wolf Girl and Black Prince

Episode 12 of Fruits Basket (2001)

Season 30, Episodes 7-8 of Detective Conan

Season 2, Episode 18 of Hayate the Combat Butler