白色情人節 White Day 3/14

 

In 1977, in Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City, Japan, the owner of Ishimura Mansheng Do, a confectionery (sweet) manufacturer, established March 14 as "a festival to give gifts to others after Valentine's Day on February 14" in order to increase sales of marshmallows "Tsurunoko" in the store.

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The festival was first called "Candy Giving Day" (Japanese: キャンデーを贈る日), but since 1980, it has been renamed "White Day" because the sugar used in the candy is white.

Many merchants saw business opportunities and began to promote the festival.

Since then, White Day has spread to many Asian countries.

Interestingly, White Day gift-giving is also a bit particular.For example,giving marshmallows means that I don't like you, because marshmallows are fragile and melt at once. On the contrary, giving hard candy means that I like you, because hard candies can enjoy sweetness for a long time.

 

在1977年，日本福岡市博多區的菓子（甜點）製造商「石村萬盛堂」的經營者為了增加店ㄝ 內棉花糖「鶴乃子」的銷售，立定3/14號為「2/14情人節後，向他人回禮的節日」，以此促進消費。

 

此節日最早稱為「糖果贈送日」（日語：キャンデーを贈る日），而自1980年起，因為糖果所使用的砂糖是白色，所以改稱為「白色情人節」。

眾多商人發現相關商機，因此也開始推廣此節日，至此，白色情人節從日本開始，傳播至眾多亞洲國家，蔚為流行。

有趣的是，白色情人節的送禮也有一番講究，舉例來說：送棉花糖代表我沒有喜歡你，因為棉花糖很脆弱，很容易就消逝。相反，送硬糖代表我喜歡你，因為硬糖可以長時間享受甜蜜。

 

VOLCABULARIES x5：

  1. confectionery (n)

sweets or chocolate；a place where sweets or chocolate are made or sold

  1. manufacturer (n)

a company that produces goods in large numbers

  1. merchants (n)

a person whose job is to buy and sell products in large amounts, especially by trading with other countries

  1. promote (v)

to encourage people to like, buy, use, do, or support something

  1. fragile (adj)

easily damaged, broken, or harmed

 

GRAMMAR CORNER x1：

。 On the contrary, giving hard candy means that I like you, because hard candies can enjoy sweetness for a long time.

“on the contrary” is used when you want to give a point of view that is totally opposed to your previous one.

 

HIGHTLIGHTS x3(英)

  1. In 1977, in Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City, Japan, the owner of Ishimura Mansheng Do, a confectionery (sweet) manufacturer, established 3/14 as "a festival to give gifts to others after Valentine's Day on February 14" in order to increase sales of marshmallows "Tsurunoko" in the store.

  2. The festival was first called "Candy Giving Day" (Japanese: キャンデーを贈る日), but since 1980, it has been renamed "White Day" because the sugar used in the candy is white.

  3. Interestingly, White Day gift-giving is also a bit particular, for example: giving marshmallows means that I don't like you, because marshmallows are fragile and melt at once, on the contrary, giving hard candy means that I like you, because hard candies can enjoy sweetness for a long time.