Valentines Day

Today was a Valentines Day.

It is so different.  

So, So different.

Couples go out for special dinner,

my daughter was busy whole day yesterday to make Valentine's cards 

for everyone in a class.  At first, I thought "WHY FOR EVERYONE ???"

Because 

Japanese Valentines day is very different.

This is the only official day of entire year when

"A Girl to tell a boy her feeling that 'she is in love'."

It's a day of "Girls-to-Boys", not "Boys-to-Girls"

Girls in love, they go out for a chocolate and gift shopping.  This time, girls wrap the chocolate and the gift by themselves. 

 It is common in Japan, when we buy a gift at a store, the store lady wrap the gift with their pretty store wrapping paper.

But for the Valentines day, girls even buy wrapping paper and wrap by themselves!

This is so special!

I know in Canada, wrapping the gift by ourselves is the only way.  

But in Japan, wrapping the gift by ourselves is luxury!

That's why, when I moved to Canada and saw the way people ripping open the gift wrapping paper, I was shocked. (Read my birthday present story?)

OK, What happens on The Valentines day.

The popular boys brings so many chocolates home.  Not so popular boys do not get chocolates, maybe from his mom or from his sisters.

Some girls give chocolates to boys as a friendship chocolate, called "Giri-choco".

Some girls give chocolates to one boy as a true love chocolate, called "Honne-choco".

Mothers counts her sons chocolates and asks her son

"You have 8 friendship chocolate, but do you have any true love chocolate ? "

or

"You have 12 true love chocolates?  Which girl are you going to chose now?"

or

"I am happy for you that you even got 1 friendship chocolate. Here is your true love chocolate from mom...."

This even happens in a office! 

 Family wait for her father comes home from work to count how many chocolate he will bring back. The more chocolates he has, the more popular he is at work and it is like a prize !!!

It is a big day for boys, and girls.

But this story continues here.

On March 14th, is the day that boys return the gift to girls. 

It's called "White Day" 

Those boys who received chocolates would go out for cookies shopping.

Yes, this time Cookies.

Boys who received friendship chocolates usually return friendship cookies for the girls.  But if he does not like the girl who gave him a true love chocolate, he does not return the cookies.

Boys did not receive any chocolates, they don't have to go out for shopping... 

It's a big day for a girl who gave a boy "true love chocolate".

"Do I get a cookie back from him...."

It's is a longest 1 month for a teenage-girl-in-love to wait for a reply.

I remember those days.

I had a heart breaking day because of the no chocolate return.

I also had a joyful day with a cookie box and a ornament bunny in my hands.

Awww, heart melting days...

Now, everyday is a Valentines day.  I love going out for a dinner spontaneously, not because everyone go out for a Valentine's dinner.

Spontaneous dinner is much more special, to me anyways.