I'm NOT dreaming of a white White Day

[spacealien_vamp]

...But since when has the weather ever listened to me?

Today is what is known as White Day. In Japan, Valentine's Day is a holiday specifically for girls to give chocolate to boys. White day, exactly one month later, is the day for boys to give back some kind of present in return for the chocolate.

Theoretically, all this gift-giving is taking place to express Love. In reality, however, a lot of the chocolate-giving is what is known as giri, or "duty." That is, on Valentine's Day, women will take in boxes of chocolate and pass it out to the men at work because it's expected, and then on White Day the men will reciprocate. At my school in Niigata, I recall discovering a sack full of chocolate on my desk and not having a clue why it was there. I kept expecting someone to show up and claim it.

At this school, it seems chocolate-giving isn't a custom among the faculty. On the other hand, we did get...snow.

All right, now. Whoever's in charge of the weather...you have one more week to have your fun. After that, it's officially spring. And everyone knows that Japan has four seasons that all start on schedule.

I saw on the news that there's a guy in Osaka campaigning to make pie the official gift food of White Day. (...Because it's 3.14, and people in Kansai just love puns.) The fact that pi goes on forever makes it a symbol of eternal love, he says.

Comments

It <i>is</i> pi day.

[megory.livejournal.com]

We are really celebrating it as a holiday here. You hear about it on the radio. There is even a song they play with a girl singing a long string of pi numbers in a very sexy voice, beginning with 3.14159...

At both the high school and the middle school folks are bringing in pies of all kinds. At the high school we use the library annex and the math teachers have pies set up there during the three lunch periods for all the teachers. In the middle school I saw the kids walking in with pies. I asked my Spanish class how many were celebrating pi day today, and they all raised their hands. They come from different teams, so I assume it's becoming pretty universal here.

It's only my second year at the high school, but they celebrated last year, too. It's kind of fun, but lots of calories. Besides, March doesn't have enough celebrations already, as far as I'm concerned. We typically only celebrated St. Patrick's on the 17th and St. Joseph's on the 19th.

Re: It <i>is</i> pi day.

[nitasee.livejournal.com]

I wonder if the song is "Pi" by Kate Bush. In it she sings the numbers of pi.

Re: It <i>is</i> pi day.

[mvrdrk.livejournal.com]

Yes, and NPR was pointing out that she got two of the numbers reversed somewhere in that long, long string.

Re: It <i>is</i> pi day.

[megory.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I missed the introduction of the song, and I didn't know who the artist was.

Re: It <i>is</i> pi day.

[megory.livejournal.com]

I found out that they've been celebrating pi day at the high school for at least 6 years here.

[nitasee.livejournal.com]

(...Because it's 3.14, and people in Kansai just love puns.) The fact that pi goes on forever makes it a symbol of eternal love, he says.

Somehow, I just can't see most Americans getting the jokeeven if pi and pie are in our own language. On the other hand, now I want to celebrate with pie.

[sara-tanaquil.livejournal.com]

I never even heard of pi day. Now I have no choice but to go eat that leftover apple pie in the fridge.