Aya Tajima
Japanese Culture: White
Day
I'm going to tell you about Japanese "White Day." White day in
Japan is the day all the people who received chocolate on February
14th give their girls gifts. First, I have to tell you about Japanese
Valentine's Day. You know Valentine's Day is on February 14th. As
Americans do, we give chocolates to people who are close to us. But
the only one difference is that only girls give confectionery such as
chocolate and cookies to guys first.
We have something called "obligation chocolates" here. It is for
people who work together, or who are in the same class. Japanese
people do this kind of thing often. In summer and winter, we give
gifts to the people who we meet often. We give them even to our boss.
You might think it's like a bride, but giving gifts to the people
means "thank you for being nice to me" or something like that. So if
you get chocolates from girls in Japan, it doesn't always mean that
they love you. Americans like to send cards instead of giving gifts.
In Japanese culture, we don't give cards very often. In the United
States, you can find various types of cards even in grocery stores,
but we can find few of them.
"White Day" is a month later, on March 14th. I heard that the day
was created by chocolate companies. First, girls give guys gifts on
14th of February, and guys who received those gifts (mainly
chocolates) must give something back. It is said that guys have to
give three times more expensive gifts to the girls.
Africa: Gods and Godesses of
Egypt
- Ancient Egyptian people believed
in various Gods and Goddesses. Each of them presides over aspect
for human life. For example, a God that presides over creation, or
flood, even the life after death. I'm going to tell you about some
of God and Goddesses that were important to the ancient Egyptian
people.
- This is Atum, the god of
creation. The word "Atum" means "everything", "perfect." He's a
god who appeared on the earth, and thought to have been born from
"Nun", the ocean of chaos. Ancient Egyptian people believed that
he made created the rest of gods and goddesses.
- This is Shu, the god of air. When
Atum coughed, Shu was created.
- This is Tefunut, the goddess of
humidity. She was created by Atum's cough, with Shu.
- His name is Geb, the god of the
earth. He was Nut's husband and brother. The ancient Egyptian
people believed that an earthquake shakes the earth, because Geb
was laughing.
- She is Nut, the goddess of the
sky. She's wearing cloths with stars and covering the sky. She was
believed to swallow Ra, the god of the sun at the end of the day,
and next morning she give birth to him.
- Because Shu lifted up Nut, the
earth and the sky were separated.
- Ra, the God of the Sun. He was
thought to be the most important god and to travel the other world
every night.
- He is Anubis, the god of the
death with jackal's head. He is important for the dead because he
prevents the dead bodies from decaying.
- This is Seth that shakes orders.
The God of chaos. Nobody knows what animal's head he has, and
everyone was frightened by him.
- This is Khnum, he presides flood
and creation. Flood was very important to Egyptian people. It
destroys everything, but after that, he creates people and the
greeneries.
- All these gods and goddesses were
believed and feared by ancient Egyptians. They worshiped them and
prayed for happiness for their lives, and even for the life after
death.
- http://www.wnn.or.jp/wnn-b/