"White Day (ホワイトデー Howaito dē) is a day celebrated in Japan on March 14, one month after Valentine's Day. It is also observed in South Korea.
In Japan, Valentine's Day is observed by females who present chocolate gifts (either store-bought or handmade), usually to a male, as an expression of love, courtesy or social obligation. A handmade chocolate is usually preferred by the receiver, because it is a sign that the receiving male is the girl's "only one". On White Day, the converse happens: males who received a honmei-choco (本命チョコ?, "chocolate of love") or giri-choco (義理チョコ?, "courtesy chocolate") on Valentine's Day are expected to return the favor by giving gifts, usually more expensive. Traditionally, popular White Day gifts are cookies, jewellery, white chocolate, white lingerie and marshmallows.[1] Sometimes the term sanbai gaeshi (三倍返し?, literally, "triple the return") is used to describe the generally recited rule that the return gift should be two to three times the cost of the Valentine's gift.[2]
White Day was first celebrated in 1978 in Japan. It was started by the National Confectionery Industry Association (全国飴菓子工業協同組合) as an "answer day" to Valentine's Day on the grounds that men should pay back the women who gave them chocolate and other gifts on Valentine's Day. In 1977, a Fukuoka-based confectionery company, Ishimura Manseido (石村萬盛堂), marketed marshmallows to men on March 14, calling it Marshmallow Day (マシュマロデー).[4]
Soon thereafter, confectionery companies began marketing white chocolate. 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, to women from whom they received chocolate on Valentine's Day one month earlier. If the chocolate given to him was giri-choco, the man, likewise, may not be expressing actual romantic interest, but rather a social obligation."
- Copied from Wikipdia because I feel no need to "reinvent the wheel"
In conclusion, white day is the opposite of Valentines day in Japan. On Valentines day, girls give guys stuff. On White day, guys give girls stuff. I like this idea, I wish we did it in America.
BONUS! (I try...)
This may not have anything to wth Japan, but I thought it was very intesting:
"Black Day (April 14) is a South Korean informal tradition for single people to get together and eat jajangmyeon (noodles with black bean sauce); sometimes a white sauce is mixed for those who did not celebrate White Day.
The idea is that those who did not give or receive gifts on Valentine's Day (February 14) or White Day (March 14) can get together and eat jajangmyeon, white Korean noodles with black bean sauce, to celebrate their singledom.
In Singapore, Black Day serves as a back up day for White Day, should couples decide to save money and skip Valentine's Day all together, as prices are usually heavily inflated on that day. This would mean that the girl gives chocolate on White Day, and the guy 'returns' on Black Day."
- Copied From Wikipedia
It's gonna be a sad white day in Sendai....
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