Nathan Algren (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shiroi_tiger) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2010-02-08 06:00 am
shiroi_tiger) wrote in fandomhigh2010-02-08 06:00 am
Entry tags:
Japanese Etiquette & Tradition, 2/08/10, Period 5
Once again, class was held in the Danger Shop. The layout was flashy, eye-grabbing, and particularly colorful today. After all, Algren's students had essentially stepped out of the school hallway and into a brightly-lit fairground. The sky was dark, with the promise of fireworks later during the class, and there were rows upon rows of stalls with everything from food to games, just waiting for the students to poke around at them.
Of course Algren had to make them wait with a lecture.
"Because today's lesson on the syllabus happens to fall the better part of a week before Valentine's day," he began, "and because my syllabus said that we're covering festivals and holidays, I'll give a quick explanation of how Valentine's day is handled in Japan, just to get this holiday obligation out of the way before letting you ransack the festival." He was nice like that. "Valentine's Day in Japan was pretty much imported by chocolate companies as an excuse to get people to buy their wares."
He was certain that everyone was surprised. Really.
"The big difference between the holiday there and how most other people celebrate it would be that in Japan, it's tradition for women to give chocolate and gifts to pretty much all of the men in their lives on the fourteeth of February." And here, he paused to allow a moment for righteous feminist rage to set in before he added, bemused, "Of course, never the sort to turn up an opportunity to sell more chocolate still, they created a second holiday, celebrated exactly one month later, called White Day. The tables are turned, then. Any men who have their eye on somebody, or who simply want to return the favor by getting chocolate for whoever gifted him a month before, are encouraged to shower their objects of affection with gifts and sweets. Everyone is happy, confectioners across the nation can now afford to send their kids to college."
See, that lecture wasn't so difficult to sit through, was it?
"If you want to learn about other Japanese holidays, there's a handout for you at the door. I'm not going to keep you from enjoying the festival, which isn't related to any holiday in particular, any longer than I have to."
And this was mostly because there was a monja stall that was calling his name. He wouldn't deny it.
What are you waiting for? Go, have fun!
[After the OCD is up!]
Of course Algren had to make them wait with a lecture.
"Because today's lesson on the syllabus happens to fall the better part of a week before Valentine's day," he began, "and because my syllabus said that we're covering festivals and holidays, I'll give a quick explanation of how Valentine's day is handled in Japan, just to get this holiday obligation out of the way before letting you ransack the festival." He was nice like that. "Valentine's Day in Japan was pretty much imported by chocolate companies as an excuse to get people to buy their wares."
He was certain that everyone was surprised. Really.
"The big difference between the holiday there and how most other people celebrate it would be that in Japan, it's tradition for women to give chocolate and gifts to pretty much all of the men in their lives on the fourteeth of February." And here, he paused to allow a moment for righteous feminist rage to set in before he added, bemused, "Of course, never the sort to turn up an opportunity to sell more chocolate still, they created a second holiday, celebrated exactly one month later, called White Day. The tables are turned, then. Any men who have their eye on somebody, or who simply want to return the favor by getting chocolate for whoever gifted him a month before, are encouraged to shower their objects of affection with gifts and sweets. Everyone is happy, confectioners across the nation can now afford to send their kids to college."
See, that lecture wasn't so difficult to sit through, was it?
"If you want to learn about other Japanese holidays, there's a handout for you at the door. I'm not going to keep you from enjoying the festival, which isn't related to any holiday in particular, any longer than I have to."
And this was mostly because there was a monja stall that was calling his name. He wouldn't deny it.
What are you waiting for? Go, have fun!
[
Re: Fireworks!
Momoko watched the fireworks and suddenly decided that she wanted to try to make chocolates for people this Valentines.