Chocolate – it’s a weakness of mine (and I’ve got the fillings to prove it). That’s why I don’t mind Valentine’s Day. Sure it’s another blatant display of commercialism but at least I don’t have to buy anything, for now at least.
“What? No present for Yoko. Won’t she be upset?” You’re probably thinking. No, she won’t. As long as I remember to give her a present next month everything will be fine.
You see in Japan Valentine’s Day is for men. That’s right – only men receive presents on February 14th. The women have to wait a month to receive their gifts. March 14th is known as ‘White Day’, when women get chocolate from their partners or men they may have given chocolate to on Valentine’s Day. (I wonder if it’s white as in surrender – if you don’t return the chocolate there’ll be war!)
Perhaps the Japanese version of Valentine’s Day sounds kind of weird and not particularly romantic. In many cases there is no romantic intention. The chocolate is given merely out of obligation. (In the case of your wife or girlfriend, you’d like to think it’s out of affection rather than obligation!)
This year I did pretty well for myself. I guess some women feel obligated to me – ha-ha. The Korean lady I now work for two evenings a week gave me a nice box of chocolates. The young female teachers I work with on Fridays gave me a little package of chocolate biscuits and marshmallow. The female principal from the same school gave me a chocolate wafer biscuit also. And last but definitely not least, Yoko gave me a bar of Swiss organic chocolate.
Obligation or affection, I don’t mind. I love chocolate! Thank you ladies!