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Cards (was re: GG: Saint Valentine's Day)
At 04:47 15/2/1997 UT, Junichi Miyazawa wrote about Valentine's Day cards:
>These cards are very heartwarming, but seem strange
>for Japanese people. Because, the Japanese custom of
>celebrating the day is very different from those of Western
>countries: we regard the day for females to give *chocolate* to
>males they love. The very Japanized custom became popular
>in the mid-1970's because the chocolate industry accelerated
>and devaluated the custom only to offer young females to give
>chocolate to their male friends and colleagues. (N.B. Males are
>not supposed to give chocolate to females; they are supposed
>to give gifts--preferably, candies--in return on March 14,
>which is named "White Day"by the strategic candy? industry.)
>Nowadays, St. Valentine's Day is a phenomenon of commercialism
>in Japan. Various consuming industries offer their products
>(e.g. alchohols, ties, chiefs, etc.) for Valentine gifts.
Sorry to drift so far beyond the usually flexible _f minor_ guidelines; but
this one seriously intrigues me:
I'm surprised to hear that card-giving (or was that just _Valentine's Day_
card-giving?) is a rarity in Japan; since the (to me) bizarre, music-playing
cards (the ones which have a silicon chip embedded in the paper; & which
play a dodgy MIDI-style _Happy Birthday to You_ or whatever whenever you
open the card... i can't quite decide whether GG would loathe them for their
commerciality or love them for their unabashed tackiness (it would have to
be one or the other... nothing in between)) i see throughout China &
Hongkong are generally described as a Japanese invention. Is the belief
correct?; or is this a cultural artefact restricted to Chinese?
Rather looking forward to being back in China 11 March; but otherwise....
All the best,
Robert Clements
clemensr@mailhost.world.net