In Japan, men carry zero responsibility on Valentine's Day except to be showered with chocolates by women who adore them. I don't know who decided this, but on V-day, women give men chocolates. Women give men love letters. Women make their proposals and confessions to the men they love. The men just sit back and wait until White Day. All they have to do on V-day is decide whether they want to accept the chocolates or not. By accepting chocolates, they are giving women the hope--no matter how false--that they may get something in return on White Day.
White Day is on March 14th, and that's when men give women flowers. But it's a month later, which means they have a few weeks to decide whether they want to respond. When--and if--they do, that's when they know they like each other. So between Feb 14 and March 14, hundreds of thousands of Japanese girls are sitting at home, pulling on their hair, nervously waiting for the day when they find out whether their feelings are reciprocated.
Why is this like the only time when women go first?
Man, Japan rocks in that regard...
Posted by: Jae | February 14, 2007 at 01:05 PM
You can be my valentine
Posted by: matt | February 14, 2007 at 05:42 PM
That was really interesting. Thanks for the info.
www.iseerobots.com
Posted by: Ben Lid | February 14, 2007 at 05:47 PM
Yep, I was in the candy section of Odakyu as the lone male fighting to buy chocolate among hordes of women. The store workers gave me weird looks and were hesitant to let me buy my box of Godiva chocolates. I explained to them that the custom in America is reversed (is this not common knowledge?). They asked me about White Day and I said there isn't a White Day in the US so reciprocating isn't part of the equation. They were like.. wow... Godiva in hand, I left smiling and waving as hundreds of desperate choco-seeking women glared at me.
Posted by: Gordon | February 14, 2007 at 07:13 PM
I am a Japanese. But I was not given chocolate....
Posted by: maeda | February 15, 2007 at 12:33 AM
I rather like the idea of reversing the roles, frankly. It'd be great if here in the states we men had some way to know about the valentinish level of interest that womem had in us. I can't total the amount of wasted money and time I've committed to women that went out with me just because I treated them well, but for no other reason. After a couple dates, intuition usually reveals the situation. I like Sadie Hawkins dances, too, for the same reason.
Posted by: Randy Novick | February 15, 2007 at 08:50 AM
Because women are all about equality until the cheque comes after dinner.
Posted by: MilxMalone | February 19, 2007 at 02:27 PM