Black and White

We all know that February 14th is Valentine's Day. Here, Valentine's Day is basically split into three parts, each a month apart. On actual Valentine's Day girls and women give chocolate to boys and men. Today, March 14th, is White Day, where boys give candy to girls. I have been told that this separation is a ploy for candy makers to make more money, similar to how Grandparent's Day was invented in the US to sell more greetings cards. Finally, April 14th is Black Day. On black day everyone who didn't get candy or chocolate (i.e. didn't have a date) on Valentine's Day or White Day goes out to restaurants and and eats black noodles together. I'm not sure if the tone is 'we were rejected last holiday, we should hook up now' or if it is commiseration, or some combination, or something else entirely. I'll try to figure it out and let you know next month. I can't find any explanation of this day's existence, and it strikes me as truly bizarre, to the point where I almost think that the people who told me about it made it up in order to screw with the foreigners. I can imagine eating a table over from someone who happened to be eating black noodles on April fourteenth (black noodles are a pretty common food) and trying to share commiserating looks with them and having them be completely confused and mildly creeped out by the foreigner who keeps looking at them sympathetically.