January 30, 2024

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Valentine’s Day in Japan

日本的情人節

Valentine’s Day is celebrated around the world on February 14. People

exchange messages of love through cards, flowers, and chocolate. Valentine’s
Day was brought to Japan in the 1950s. Japanese people celebrate the day in
a unique way. In the West, the burden of sending gifts falls on men, but in
Japan, women are the ones who give chocolates to men on this day.

On March 14, exactly a month later, comes White Day. This is when
the men who received chocolates on Valentine’s Day are expected to give a
gift in return. It is a popular custom for the men to present their loved ones
with expensive white chocolates or marshmallows. This White Day tradition
can also be found in South Korea, Taiwan, and China.

On April 14, there is even a third event called Black Day. On this day,
people who did not receive gifts on the previous two days gather, dressed in
black, and eat jajangmyeon: noodles covered in black bean paste. This day, a
celebration for single people, started in South Korea. In Japan, the tradition
has expanded to include having any black food or drink. The unique traditions
of White Day and Black Day show how Valentine’s Day has been adapted to
East Asian cultures.
 翻譯

在 2 月 14 日這一天，世界各地都會慶祝情人節。人們透過卡片、鮮花和巧克力來交換愛的訊息。情
人節於 1950 年代傳入日本。日本人以獨特的方式慶祝這一天。在西方，送禮的重擔往往落在男性身上，
但在日本，女性會在這一天送巧克力給男性。

接著在一個月後的 3 月 14 日，迎來了所謂的「白色情人節」。在這天，收到巧克力的男性應該要回
禮。男士很流行送心愛的人昂貴的白巧克力或棉花糖。白色情人節的傳統也在南韓、臺灣和中國流行。

在4 月 14 日，甚至還有一個名為「黑色情人節」的第三個活動。在這一天，沒有在前兩個節日收到
禮物的人會聚集起來，身穿黑色服裝，一起吃炸醬麵，這是一種塗有黑豆醬的麵。這一天是專門為單身者
慶祝的節日，源自於南韓。在日本，這個傳統擴展到包括吃喝任何黑色的食物或飲料。白色情人節和黑
色情人節的獨特傳統展現出情人節如何在東亞文化中被重新詮釋。

popular (adj.) 流行的

Vocabulary Mia is the most popular girl in Challenge Words
核心字彙（本表皆屬國中小課綱 the class. 參考字彙，不必背誦（紅點表示初、中級
所列「參考字彙 2000 字」。） 英檢字彙。）
米亞是班上最受歡迎的女孩。
Valentine's Day (n.) 情人節 • exchange (v.) 交換
Johnny asked Amanda out on tradition (n.) 傳統
• burden (n.) 重擔
Valentine's Day because he It is their family tradition to bake
cookies and share them with • exactly (adv.) 正好；恰好
liked her.
因為強尼喜歡阿曼達，所以他在情 their neighbors at Christmas. marshmallow (n.) 棉花糖
在聖誕節烤餅乾並與鄰居分享是他
人節約她出去。 • previous (adj.) 先前的
們家庭的傳統。
jajangmyeon (n.) 炸醬麵
message (n.) 訊息
Sarah left a message for Tony event (n.) 活動 • paste (n.) 糊狀物；醬
Alice is planning a big event for
on his door. • celebration (n.) 慶祝
莎拉在托尼的門上留了訊息。 her birthday party.
• expand (v.) 擴大
愛麗絲正在為她的生日派對計劃一
場盛大的活動。 • adapt (v.) 改寫；使適合
unique (adj.) 獨特的
My father has a unique
cellphone. include (v.) 包括
My shopping list includes milk
我的父親有一支與眾不同的手機。
and bread.
我的購物清單包括牛奶和麵包。
receive (v.) 收到
Jenny was sad because she
didn't receive any chocolate culture (n.) 文化
Studying abroad gave Tom a
from Max.
chance to experience a new
珍妮因為沒有收到馬克斯的巧克力
culture.
而感到難過。
出國留學讓湯姆有機會體驗新的文
化。
1. What do women do on Valentine’s Day in Japan?
A. They give chocolates to the men they love.
B. They buy flowers for their families.
C. They wear black sweaters on this day.
D. They send greeting cards to their best friends.

2. According to the reading, which of the following is a common thing

to do on Black Day?
A. Wearing pink clothes to a noodle shop.
B. Sending love through cards and flowers.
C. Bringing a box of chocolates to a loved one.
D. Wearing a black sweater and eating jajangmyeon.

3. What does present mean in the reading?

A. To change.
B. To celebrate.
C. To give as a gift.
D. To show publicly.

Answers: