Valentine's Day.

Oh, Valentine's Day. The holiday full of so much pink and sugary cliché. I'm really surprised it hasn't been banned forever by all those male politicians for that very reason.
Guess they've found their "love", though, right? And I'm not talking about the one they're married to. But, you know what they say... love can even be found in the peaks of the Appalachian Trail. [;

A lot of people have been getting googly-eyed over a fleeting mention of the holiday. I'm not one of them, I don't think I would be even if I had plans. I'm not saying I frown on it entirely- I think it's really great that people take a day to appreciate their loved ones, even if it's just one out of their busy schedule- but hell, don't you think we shouldn't take prompting from a holiday?

I don't see what's so romantic about a day toward the end of winter, for that matter. And I'm speaking for the weather in the States, perhaps one of the biggest indulging countries in the world during Valentine's Day.
Here, the day is normally grey, making the pinks you see even more retina-burning if you're single. [;
No wonder people hate it so much!
I think if anyone asked my honest input, I'd respond with "Well, I think we should at least move it to the summer, so people won't spend their day inside."
Wouldn't YOU rather be outside with your significant other on a starry night doing whatever the hell you wanted? I would. I'd actually move it myself. xD

Now, I really don't hate Valentine's Day. This is actually the second I've been in a relationship. [I don't really like to count last year's Valentine's Day, however, since there was no hope of anything festive because I was freezing my ass off in Boston with my debate team. Romantic, eh?] I think it's absolutely fantastic that people spend a day attributed to the one they love.
I just think that it's turned into Capitalism Day. Honestly, how much money do you think retailers bring in over the course of mid-February? And in these times, when we have the highest divorce rates since, well, EVER... it leaves you wondering "for what?"

Not to mention the fact that even if you're taken, all the couples around on Valentine's Day just seem to mock you with their presence if your girl or guy isn't beside you as well. Normally it's easy to put up with, but seriously, once you see 40 or 50 couples making out during the morning commute... it's nerve-wracking, I'm sure, to even the most stable of couples if you aren't there to flash yours back. So in addition to Capitalism Day, it's official get-judged-by-your-peers day! Fun.

Now, going back to when I mentioned the United States' interpretation of Valentine's Day earlier...
I've been watching a few foreign exchange students from Japan doing vlogs for a while, and several of them have recently posted videos on the Japanese tradition of Valentine's Day. It's really different, from the way it seems.
Essentially, to the Japanese, Valentine's Day is a day for girls to get gifts [almost ALWAYS chocolates- seriously, if chocolate isn't an object on that day in Japan to men or women, you've been living under a rock.] for men and occasionally other women. But it's largely only the girls distributing these.

There's three types of chocolates that are given out by Japanese girls:

1. Giri-chocos. These are basically the equivalent of giving one of those cheap, generic whatever-movie-was-a-hit-at-the-time paper Valentines to everyone in your class in elementary school... except these are for the guys in your life. Think co-workers, neighbors, bosses. Giri- in this sense pretty much means "obligation". xD Makes ya feel loved, eh? But on the flipside, if a guy doesn't get much chocolate on Valentine's Day, he's pretty socially fucked.

2. Tomo-chocos. Friend chocolates, easy. These are usually to female friends, but I'm sure men get them too. A step up from giri-chocos. These pretty much debuted in the 80s, when women were given a more equal stance in Japanese culture [AKA women being allowed to divorce men was made legal. See Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto.]

3. Honmei-chocos. If you get one of these, guys, you know you're something special. These are usually more expensive to get, but are very often homemade. I mean, hell, if you're expressing your affection for a guy, it'd look better if you put effort in other than like, 1500 yen, ne?

Now, after all this occurs in the male section of the population, I'm sure it leaves you wondering- okay, what about the girls?
White Day is a holiday celebrated on March 14, a month after Valentine's Day, so that men can return their affection to the women. However, White Day isn't really as much of a big deal as Valentine's Day, especially in the teenage population... and I'm sure you can guess why.

Bit different, eh? Both holidays in Japan are a bit more prospective than the Americanized view on Valentine's. I thought it was pretty interesting, though, that they took this westernized, originally Christian [okay, Pagan, fine] holiday and offered that level of differentiation.

Oh, another fact: ever heard of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre? Hahaha... if you wanted to take a hilariously cynical standpoint on this "day of love", go do some research. You might also want to check out the day that St. Valentine was executed by Emperor Claudius II, and what his crime was.

Have fun tomorrow, don't go setting any couples on fire that glance in your direction, and if it doesn't kill you, say I love you to someone.

-CS.