Notes From Me

Sunday, February 13, 2005

Only for Men in Japan

Japanese Valentine's Day consists of women and girls giving chocolate and gifts to male family members and boyfriends. Later in March, there is White Day, when men and boys give white chocolate to women and girls. Here people are also obliged to give their coworkers chocolate, but often people give giri-giri chocolate, which means cheap, obligatory chocolate. I haven't bought any chocolate, but I did bring shu cream and other pastries to my first class this morning.

For reasons that had nothing to do with hate or anything goth, but perhaps from jadedness over commercialism, and perhaps a touch of reactionism, when my friend Summer and I were 17 and 18 we wore all black each Valentine's Day. As far as the colors of Valentine's Day, I still think red and pink look pretty bad together.

The popular customs associated with Saint Valentine's Day undoubtedly had their origin in a conventional belief generally received in England and France during the Middle Ages, that on 14 February, i.e. half way through the second month of the year, the birds began to pair.

This coincides a bit with Imbolg, meaning ewe's milk, an old Celtic/Wiccan holiday that marked the courting of the young goddess and the god, and of the arrival of spring soon to come.

I didn't realize until recently that Natalie Portman was a really good actress, at age 12. I just saw Leon, which I think is called The Professional in the states.

posted by lux at 7:59 PM
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2 Comments:

B Goei commented at 2/14/2005~: yeah valentine's day kind of has that affect on me too. it's like groundhog day for humans.

the groundhog pops up, no shadow? it goes back in its hole. for humans, the morning of the 14th we pop up, no relationship? back under the covers.
gay and flip in New York commented at 2/14/2005~: dear lux,

hey, haven't heard from you in a long while. you think valentine is screwy in japan? it is anywhere, anyway. which prefecture are you in anyway?
by the way, is this a new blog you have here? where's the one before? what happened to the gorgeous pictures?
gee, i don't think i am the right person to ask about english pronunciation. i am not a native speaker as you would have known. as to this particular word, i pronounce it exactly like you do. but there must be a voice based website that gives the correct, at least the standard, anyway, pronunciation of this word.
later.

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