Red Day

Happy Valentines Day!
Happy Singles Awareness Day! (maniacal laugh)
Happy Some Holiday Corporations Make You Believe You Need To Spend Money ........ (hippy shit)... Day!
and Here from Japan:
Happy Red Day!

Whatever you call it, you're thinking about love today. For me it gives me the chance to think last 8 years I spent with Ben (the last seven years he was my sweetheart, the year before I pushed him in a cardboard box to his girlfriends house where he jumped out of the box to surprise his girlfriend with a dozen roses! We were *just friends* at that time).

Image from: HarroJapan

Japan does things a little differently for valentines day. This is the day women give chocolates. Women give chocolates to their friends, their coworkers, and if they are feeling especially bold... to their crush. Different qualities of chocolate are chosen for the message they represent, cheap chocolates are reserved for obligatory chocolates, German chocolates are given to crushes, bosses, and best friends.

Toko Sekiguch of the New York Times says it best. "How a lovers' holiday in the west turned into a quasi-feminist chocolate orgy is unclear." Men do nothing on this day, they are completely off the hook until white day, March 14th. This means if a woman professes her love to a man on this day, he can mull it over for an entire month, an absolutely terrifying prospect.

Men are expected to one up what ever they have received for Valentines/Red day on White day. This means jewelry, dates and chocolate, or if the girl is really unfortunate a rejection with a side of conciliatory chocolate.

So what are Ben and I doing? I will be taking him on a fun date this weekend, which you and he will have to wait to hear about. He will be taking me on some sort of date that requires him to buy the tickets a month in advance, I have no idea what his plans for me are, but I am very excited.

Happy Valentines Day!

Please enjoy my favorite Japanese School Days Love Story Song!