Romantic or Obligatory? Japanese Valentine's Day
Feb 10, 2023ๆใซใฏใใใใใชใฟใคใใใใใพใใญใๅฎถๆๆใๆๆใๅ็ฉใ่ช็ถใธใฎๆใชใฉใใงใใๆฅๆฌใฎใใฌใณใฟใคใณใใผใซใฏใใไธใคใฎๆใๆใใใใจใใงใใพใใใใใฏใ็พฉ็ใใฎๆใงใใใพใใๆฅๆฌใฎใใฌใณใฟใคใณใใผใฎๆๆใๆฌกใซ็พฉ็ใฎๆใซใคใใฆ่ชฌๆใใพใใ
There are many types of love, such as family love, romantic love and love for animals and nature. And in Japan, you can see another type of love on St. Valentine’s Day. This is called ‘giri’- obligatory love in literal translation but rather social courtesy in more natural English. First, I will explain the romantic love and then ‘giri’ love on St Valentine’s Day in Japan.
2ๆ14ๆฅใซๆใ่กจ็พใใใฎใฏ็ทๆงใงใใใใใๅฅณๆงใงใใใใใๅฎใฏๅฅณๆงใ็ทๆงใซๆใ่กจ็พใใๆฅใงใใใใใฆใใใผใใฎใใงใณใฌใผใใใใใพใใ
Who express love on 14th of February in Japan, men or women? Actually, this is the day that women express their love to men. Normally they give chocolates.
ใใใฆใใซใใใซใฎๅ ดๅใๅฅณๆงใ็ทๆงใฎใใผใใใผใซๆใ่กจใใพใใใใฎๆฅใซใฏใทใณใฐใซใฎๅฅณๆงใ็ฉๆฅต็ใซใชใใพใใๆฎๆฎตใฏๅฅณๆงใใ็ทๆงใซๆใๅ็ฝใใใใจใฏใใพใๅฅฝใพใใฆใใชใๆฅๆฌ็คพไผใงใฏใๆฌๅฝใใฎ็ทๆงใจไปใๅใใใๅฅณๆงใซใจใฃใฆใฏ่กๅใ่ตทใใใใฃใณในใฎๆฅใ ใใใงใใใใใใๆฌๅฝใใงใณใใจๅผใณใพใใ
For a couple, a female partner expresses love to her male partner. And the singles also become active. In general, it is still not strongly supported for women to be active in initiating a romantic relationship in Japan. And it’s the day for those women to take action to someone with their true love - ‘honmei’. Therefore, this chocolate is called ‘honmei choco’
ๆฌกใซใ็พฉ็ใใฎๆใงใใใใใใๅฅณๆงใใ็ทๆงใซ่กจ็พใใพใใใใคใใไธ่ฉฑใซใชใฃใฆใใไบบใซๆ่ฌใฎๆฐๆใกใ่พผใใฆใใพใใฏใใฌใณใฟใคใณใใผใซไธไบบใงใใใใใใชไบบใซๆธฉใใๅฟ้ ใใจใใฆๆใ่กจ็พใใพใใใใใใ็พฉ็ใใงใณใใจๅผใณใพใใไผ็คพใซๅคใใฆใใไบบใชใไธๅธใๅๅใ้จไธใชใฉใซใๅญฆ็ใชใๅ ็ใใฏใฉในใกใคใใซใๅฎถๆใชใใ็ถใใใๅ ๅผใซใใงใณใฌใผใใใใใพใใ
About ‘giri’ love, again women express it to men. This is love as gratitude for men who take care of her usually, or sometimes love with mercy for lonely men on St. Valentine’s Day. Therefore, this chocolate is called ‘giri choco’. These are often for the boss and the colleagues at work, for the teacher and the classmates at school, and for their father and brothers at home.
ใๆฌๅฝใใงใณใใฎๅ ดๅใๆไฝใใฎใใผใใฎใใงใณใฌใผใใใใงใณใฌใผใใฑใผใญใไฝใไบบใใใพใใๆฅๆฌใงใฏๆไฝใใใใใใจใซๆใ่พผใใใใฆใใใจๆใใๅพๅใใใใใใงใใๅฝ็ถใ็ธๆใฎใใใซๆ้ใจๅดๅใ่ฒปใใใฆใใพใใใใญใใใใงใๆไฝใใงๆใๆๅคง้ใซ่กจ็พใใไบบใใใพใใ
For ‘honmei choco’ some women give hand-made chocolate or chocolate cake. Because people tend to feel love from hand-made things in Japan. Obviously, it takes time and effort for making it. In this way, they can maximise their expression of love.
ใจใใใงใใ็พฉ็ใใงใณใใฏใใใใชใใใใใใฃใใปใใๅฌใใใจๆใใไบบใๅคใใใใงใใ็ใใใฏใ็พฉ็ใใงใณใใซใคใใฆใฉใๆใใพใใใ็ใใใฎๅฝใงใใ็พฉ็ใใงใณใใใใใพใใใใฟใชใใใฏใ็พฉ็ใใงใณใใใใใใใใใฃใใใใใใงใใใไปๅใ็ใใใซใจใฃใฆไฝใๆฐใใไธ็ใๅบใใฃใใๅฌใใใงใใ
By the way, I have heard people feel pleased to receive ‘giri choco’ than not to. What do you think about the idea of ‘giri choco’? Do people give ‘it’ in your country? Do you want to give or receive ‘it’? It would be great if this article makes you think and feel something new in your life.
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