How are you going to celebrate this year’s Valentine’s Day? Are you exchanging greeting cards? Are you giving chocolates or other gifts to your special someone? Maybe you’re planning a romantic dinner at a restaurant.
In Japan, バレンタインデー barentain dee (Valentine’s Day) is celebrated quite differently. Most notably, Valentine’s Day in Japan is all about women giving chocolates to men!
There are two “types” of chocolates. One kind is called 義理チョコ giri choko (obligaition chocolate) - this is the kind of chocolate that girls give to boys without any romantic feelings toward them. For example, in an office situation, a female worker would give 義理チョコ giri choko to all the male coworkers. (Of course, the decision is up to her, since it gets quite costly to give chocolates to every male friend and coworker!)
The other kind is 本命チョコ honmee choko (favorite chocolate). A girl gives this type of chocolate to her real love. She could be giving 本命チョコ honmee choko to her boyfriend, but she can also take this opportunity to confess to somebody that she has a romantic feeling for him. Japanese school girls get restless around Valentine’s Day, asking each other the question, “Who are you giving your honmee choko to this year?”
Not surprisingly, girls spend more money or effort to prepare the honmee choko. It could be from a top brand, such as Godiva. Or she could spend time making her own heart-shaped chocolate pieces. On the other hand, giri choko can be something just fun and cheap that you can find at a grocery store or a convenience store.
So Valentine’s Day is the day boys receive a ton of chocolates. How nice, right? Well, actually, there’s more to it. If you receive chocolates on Valentine’s Day, you are obliged to return the favor by giving the girls some gifts (usually candies) on March 14, which is called ホワイトデー howaito dee (White Day).
-Sakura
