💌 Valentine's Day vs. White Day: Do you know the difference? Japanese Culture

Today, February 14th is バレンタインデー (Valentine’s Day)!

But did you know that in Japan, we have certain rules for this event?🤯 And what’s ホワイトデー (White Day)? And how is it related to Valentine’s Day?

Let's compare Valentine's Day and White Day from different angles (🚨spoiler: it’s so much more than “Lovers Day”).

📅 When They Started in Japan

Valentine's Day in Japan became popular because of the candy industry. In 1932, a chocolate shop called Morozoff started the tradition of giving chocolates on Valentine's Day, inspired by Western customs (sounds familiar with KFC and Christmas🤔, right?). In the 1970s and 1980s, many candy companies made Valentine's Day a big deal.

White Day, however, began in Japan in 1978 as a way for men to return gifts to women who gave them chocolates on Valentine's Day (of course we HAVE to be polite🤭, so we invented ホワイトデー). White Day happens 1 month after Valentine’s Day, on March 14th.

💝 Who Gets Gifts and What They Get

In Japan, Valentine's Day is a time when women give gifts to men, mainly chocolates. It’s also a special occasion for women to confess their love, and give their 好きな人 (loved person) a ラブレター💌 (love letter). I’m sure you’ve already seen such scenes in many anime😉.

Fun fact: in companies, giving chocolates to coworkers is common.

🙋‍♀️🙋But Sensei, does this mean women confess their love to male coworkers?

No way! We give them an “obligation chocolate” (義理チョコ), which sounds a little strange😅, I know, but it’s commonly used.

For White Day, men return the favor by giving chocolates or gifts to women.

🌍 Comparing Customs Around the World

Valentine's Day comes from Europe and North America and is about showing love to all loved ones. But in Japan, this day is all about confessing love.

🙋‍♀️🙋But Sensei, does this mean that Japanese couples don’t celebrate love whatsoever?

We do! But on Christmas Day😜. I’ll explain to you next time, all right?

White Day, on the other hand, is mostly in Japan and Korea. Both countries exchange gifts on this day to show appreciation and affection.

It's interesting to see how Valentine's Day and White Day have grown in Japan and other places.