For adults, that it. As a manifestation of feeling between children, it is cute...until later in elementary school when all but the "unpopular" girls get bubble gum on their Valentines and all others merely get a Jolly Rancher, probably left over from Halloween. Watching the popular girls in high school and uni get roses, teddy bears and balloons as a visible, colorful demonstration of adolescent feelings while the rest of us sat back, wishing, dreaming that perhaps, one day, our Valentine's Day would be so decorated, just like a fairy tale...
It creates in us a rather unhealthy expectation, one that has yet, in 36 years of Valentine's Days, to be fulfilled for me.
I no longer live under that delusion, as I have come to see in my mid-20s that I am just not the kind of girl who would ever warrant that kind of attention. However, those I feel very badly for are the Japanese. And WE thought romance was dead! Again, we have nothing on the Japanese there. Valentine's Day in the Orient was quite an experience for this idealistic young person, and that is today's Flashback Friday post for you. Enjoy!
V-day in Japan
Valentine's Day is not celebrated quite in the same way in Japan as it is elsewhere. It is merely a day during which women shower men with gifts of food, chocolate, drink and superficial shows of appreciation, perhaps crushes and/or love.
Women do not receive anything on this day. Instead, a mere obligatorily "reciprocation" and acknowledgment of the given gift of chocolates is granted the woman on March 14, called "White Day".
She will instead receive gifts of soaps, shampoos and body scents.
Bah.
Does this mean to say the men think that we stink?
Why do they get the chocolate and we get body scents?
Yet another reason to boycott the whole day, in my humble opinion.
Oh, and pass the wine. And, um, don't you DARE forget the chocolate.
(Soy-free, of course.)
And do the Geisha girls still walk behind the man? Those poor women. There should be a "year of the woman" where we are celebrated and appreciated by men every day of that year for all that we do.
ResponderEliminarUntil then, I will join you with some wine and chocolate. Cheers!
I want to be showered by a woman. I don't care if it's with chocolate or soap, as long as we're both naked! (I know, I twisted your topic a bit. Sorry)
ResponderEliminarIt's sad, but I haven't showered with a woman in ages... that is something that sucks about being solo right now. Gotta get me a girlfriend! That's my new aspiration.
Valentine's Day is just a silly excuse to guilt people into buying flowers and chocolate. I'd be just as happy if my guy waited until everything was marked down 75% off and showered me with chocolate on February 22nd.
ResponderEliminarI feel differently about it. We both do the whole card and flowers thing. It reminds me of when our relationship was young and we had those overwhelming feelings. They've waned over the years, as they should, but the spark is still there and the holiday reminds me of that.
ResponderEliminarIf things were different and I was the man in your life I would shower you with those sentimental things because you are so truly worthy of that kind of adoration. Happy Day to you my friend.
Mindy, it's interesting, even in pop music there is common mention of the woman's pride of walking "behind" her man...literally. It was an eye-opener over there.
ResponderEliminarDad's, you obviously have better things on your mind.
Phenomenal, I'm all for after-event sales. However, I have a hard time with a day specified for saying/showing something we should do each and every day.
Brad, face it. You are a romantic. I hope you two have had a great day!
Be well, all.
Wow, I think I'd really hate Valentine's Day in Japan. But to be honest, it has never been my favorite holiday.
ResponderEliminarI'm with you on the Valentine's Day thing - in NZ it's just crept in in the last fifteen years or so ... my generation don't go in for it much. As for at High School etc there's no roses and teddy bears. Don't we feel enough angst at that age without all that to offset it? Enjoy your wine my friend!
ResponderEliminar