February went by so quickly and it’s almost over. If I was back home in America, the stores would be filled with discounted Valentine’s Day candy. It’s interesting how these holidays differ between the two countries. In Japan, there is Valentine’s Day and White Day. Two separate days for girls giving boys gifts and boys giving girls gifts. In the U.S. everyone gives all of their gifts on the same day. Sometimes it’s chocolate, flowers, a homemade snack, or a nice card. And while it’s a popular day for couples to give each other gifts, you can also give presents to anyone. When I was a child in school, a lot of children would bring chocolate or snacks for the whole class and we’d write cards to our friends or family. In high school, students would probably still bring chocolates for their friends and teachers would sometimes have chocolates for all of their students. It’s fun to see how holidays are both similar and different between America and Japan. In a few weeks, it will be White Day and I’ll get to see another unique side of Japan’s modern culture.
- Yaya Campbell