Happy Valentines Day

Ok, so I have never liked this holiday in the States, but here in Japan, it is just strange. A few weeks ago, after noticing a lot of hearts and chocolates popping up in retail venues, Val and I talked to someone and found out about some of the interesting customs here. First of all, Valentines Day is associated with another holiday, a month later, called White Day- but more on that later. So, apparently, girls/women are supposed to give expensive chocolates ("honmei choco") to the boys/men they are interested in. This includes boys/men who have no idea that they are being sought after. Or, if the girl/woman has a significant other, they give honmei choco to them. But, it is ONLY the females who do it.
And then, there are the less-expensive chocolates ("giri choco"). Even though I don't have a love interest here, Val and I were given the suggestion (because all other women in all offices were doing it) to buy giri choco for each man in our office. But this is where White Day comes in. In one month, any boy/man who received chocolate, is expected to buy something TWICE as expensive and give it to the girl/woman he received it from. So, in one month, Val and I should be getting a desk full of cookies or something.
I don't know if I made it sound as strange as I think it is, but I was surprised to get an e-mail from Carol (my sister who is in S. Korea for church) describing the same traditions. Only, they have ANOTHER holiday one month after White Day. This one is called Black Day, and it is when all the singles get together to celebrate. That's my kind of holiday. I think we'll try to start the tradition here.