When it comes to love, white is the new red on white day, march 14
Ladies, if there’s a man in your life in China you might want to pay attention on Monday to a tradition that’s made its way from Japan and has been gaining traction on the mainland for a few years now: White Day.
Celebrated on March 14, White Day was created by Japan’s National Confectionery Industry Association back in 1978 as an answer to Valentine’s Day (a Hallmark Holiday if ever there was—at least Valentine’s has a patron saint somewhere in the mists of time, though by now he’s well-hidden beneath mountains of red roses and heart-shaped chocs.)
In Japan, the tradition goes that on White Day, it’s the girls that get, whereas Valentine’s is reserved for spoiling the boys… Whoaaaah there! Hold up, Valentine’s just for the men you say? What kind of crazy talk is that? What about all those red roses and chocolates, spa treats and candlelit dinners? Well, don’t panic just yet because China has only part-imported the concept keeping Valentine’s as per usual, so the answer is, you still get them, but on March 14th it’s payback time.
(More after the jump… )
There’s no rules about what you should offer your beau, though flowers don’t tend to go down too well with chaps. You could write him a three-line love letter like the thousands posted to Netease last year though most of the blokes I know wouldn’t be too thrilled with poetry either… how about a night or two in one of China’s most romantic hotels? That’s got to be a winner by anyone’s books plus you get to enjoy it too!
Happy White Day everyone!
Tags: China, Japan