Did you know that almost every country celebrates a version of this holiday in their own fashion, sometimes on another date? For instance, in Japan, the tradition is very ritualized and is all about the giving of chocolates, so much so that on this date chocolate companies make half their annual income. The Western customs of giving of candy, flowers and cards and are uncommon. But here's the part I find most interesting - only the women give chocolate to the men, and it's all about giving just the right amount of chocolate. There is good chocolate, and the not-so-good, and in offices, every man is presented with his appropriate type of chocolate. What a great way to tell that guy what you really think of him! Then the men are expected to return the favor in March, on White Day, the color of the reciprocal chocolate. They must return a gift two or three times as valuable as the one they received. (excellent idea) To ignore this custom is viewed as an act of superiority, and a gift of equal value indicates he is cutting the relationship. I must confess, I gathered this information from the Internet, and we all know how reliable THAT source is, so if this is outdated or incorrect, please let me know!
These illustrations were preliminary sketches for an assignment I received several years ago.
I hope you find time to do an act of kindness today, we all need a little love in our lives.
1 comment:
These are really cute!
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