[Ansteorra] fwd: Valentines day in Japan

[Stefan li Rous]

 From the Gleann Ahbann list.

I just knew there had to be a catch...

Stefan
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Valentines  day in Japan
    Posted by: "Tree" ladytree53 at yahoo.com ladytree53
    Date: Mon Feb 6, 2012 9:47 am ((PST))

While the below information is not SCA related, I thought some of you  
might like this little bit of information.  My daughter and her  
husband live at Kadena AFB in Japan.  She posted the below information  
on her blog a while back and I found it interesting.  While how far  
back in time this custom goes I do not know, I did find it enjoyable.

Tree
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In American most men are planning the big day in Feb. to show love  
with candy ,cards ,flowers and maybe even a nice dinner. Japan it is a  
little diff. here the men wait to see how many gifts they will get.  
yes,ladies the men get the gifts!!!! When it first began in Japan  
single woman would present a gift (usually chocolate) to the boy to  
confess attraction to them. Times have changed just a little ...now  
woman of all ages give a gift to their loved one ...called hommei- 
choco(true love chocolates). for relatives they give giri- 
choco(obligation chocolates) -smaller. Friend or (tomodachi or you can  
just say tomo) may also get gifts.
Even Americans may get a gift from a Japanese person while walking or  
in a store. If you do get one.. then on White Day on March 14th you  
have to give that person a gift back and it should be worth three  
times the amount of the gift they gave you.This gift is called (san- 
bai-gaishi). All of you woman run out and get your husband a hommie- 
choco so in March he has to triple the amout on a san-bai-gaishi gift  
for you lol!!!!
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THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/marksharris
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****