Although the celebration for lovers began in England and France, the tradition of special expressions of love have spread throughout the entire world! What once consisted only of giving handcrafted valentine's cards has become an array of gift giving, including things such as flowers, jewelry, chocolates, and candy. In fact some cultures have even gone on to extend the holiday by creating subsequent holidays related to Valentine's day.
The Creation of White Day
In Japan, February 14th is not simply a day for expressing feelings of fondness, but it is a day for the women to present their true loves with handmade (or store-bought) chocolate gifts. As a result, in 1978 the National Confectionery Industry Association created an official "answer day" for the men-fold. March 14th has been officially deemed "White Day" - the day when the men return their affection to the women who gave them chocolate one month earlier. Appropriately, this is done through the offering of white chocolate.
The Creation of Black Day
The Koreans have taken the idea of White Day even one step further and have created "Black Day". Black Day is celebrated on April 14th and is a day dedicated to the single people who did not give or receive gifts on Valentine's Day or White Day. On this day, young singles get together and eat jajangmyeon - noodles with a black bean sauce - to celebrate their singledom!
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