カナダのValentine’s Dayは日本見たいに女性が男性にチョコレートを上げる決まりは無いのです。 個人的の経験の環境から言うと、男性が女性になんらかのギフトを上げるのが普通です。 ギフトはチョコレートだけじゃなく花束、宝石、ぬいぐるみでもOKです。 女性から男性に上げる例もあり、友達の間にギフトを交換する例はありますが、日本の「義理チョコ」と同じような習慣は無いと思います。とにかくValentine’s Dayとは単にロマンチックな事をする日であり、独身よりカップルの人達のほうがいろいろとやる日なのです。 ですから男女の区別無く独身にとってValentine’s Day はいやーな祝日なのです。日本のValentine’sには皆がチョコをもらって楽しめることができていいですね！
ちなみにこの前中国から二人の友人が遊びに来ました！ 少しだけ四国を観光しに行ったけど詳しくは広報を読んでください！
February 14th, in case anyone forgot, was Valentine’s Day. In Japan it is a day where it is customary for women to buy chocolates for men. Now not every women gives chocolates and not every man gets one, but from what I understand there are two forms in which chocolates can be given. A woman can either give a man chocolates because she has true feelings for him, or she can give him chocolates because she has a purely platonic (usually professional) relationship with the man based on respect. The former is referred to as “hon-mei” chocolates, where as the latter are called “giri” (obligatory) chocolates. I myself received a few Valentine’s chocolates for the first time in my life (all “giri”).
In Canada there aren’t any set-in-stone customs associated with Valentine’s like that in Japan. That is to say, gifts don’t have to be chocolate, and while usually it’s the man that gives gifts to whomever he has feelings for, it’ can easily go the other way around. What Canada definitely does not have in the same degree as Japanese culture is the concept of an obligatory gift to non romantic acquaintances on Valentine’s day. It’s not unheard of for a group of friends (most likely female) to exchange Valentine’s gifts, but I have to assume that giving a Valentine gift to your opposite sex superior will raise some unwanted eyebrows.
Traditionally, Valentine’s is one of those days single people absolutely detest. At least in my experiences in Canada, V-day is reserved for those who already have a romantic life or for those who are taking a chance to get one. In Japan on the other hand the only qualification that is required to receive a “giri” chocolate is to have a female acquaintance. Now to those women out there who may be a little insulted over the fact that someone decided that only women give chocolates and men receive them, please just wait a month for “White Day”. White day is a day generally believed to be created by the commercial industry in Japan where it is customary for men to give gifts to the women who gave him chocolates on Valentine’s day. You see, everybody wins.
