White Day gift ideas - what to give back on 14 March

White Day is 14 March, exactly one month after Valentine's Day. It began in Japan in the late 1970s and is kept in South Korea and Taiwan too. The idea is simple: on Valentine's Day, women traditionally give chocolate; on White Day, the people who received it give something back. In practice anyone who got a Valentine gift can answer it.

There is an old saying that the return gift should be worth "three times" what you received — few people take it literally, but it captures the spirit: show that the Valentine meant something to you. Here are ideas for every kind of answer.

1. Sweets — and what they say

White Day started with marshmallows and white chocolate, and sweets are still the heart of it. In Japan, though, many people read meanings into them: cookies for friendship, candy for affection, and marshmallows — which melt away — as a polite "no". So for someone you love, choose candy or good white chocolate; for friends and colleagues, cookies are the neutral pick. Buy from a good shop rather than the supermarket, and add a handwritten card.

2. Bake it yourself

Homemade cookies, a small cheesecake or a tray of macarons in pastel colours say more than any brand. Wrap them neatly — on White Day the packaging is part of the gift.

3. Something she has mentioned

The best partners remember. A lip balm from the brand she uses, the cosmetics pouch she liked, the hair clip she looked at twice. A small thing chosen with attention beats an expensive guess.

4. A personalized song

Answer her Valentine with a song about the two of you. Describe how you met, her name, the date you still talk about, what you felt when she gave you the chocolate — AI Music writes the lyrics, composes the music and sings it with real vocals in about a minute, in Japanese, Korean, Chinese or another of more than 40 languages. Send it as a gift sealed until 14 March so it opens on the day. The first song is free.

5. A date that returns the favour

Plan the whole evening yourself: book the restaurant she wanted to try, pick the film, walk her home. Since she made the first move in February, a plan she did not have to make is the gift.

6. Flowers in white or spring colours

March is cherry blossom season in much of Japan and Taiwan. A small bouquet of white tulips, ranunculus or a single branch of blossom fits the day perfectly.

7. For colleagues — keep it light

In Japanese and Korean offices, women sometimes give "giri choco", courtesy chocolate, to male colleagues on Valentine's Day, and White Day is the polite reply. Give everyone the same thing: individually wrapped cookies or a box of sweets with a short thank-you note. Nothing personal or expensive — that would be awkward.

8. For a friend

"Tomo choco", chocolate between friends, gets answered too. A café voucher, a cute set of stationery or a snack from a trip shows you were glad to be thought of.

9. A letter

If you find it hard to say things aloud, write them. A short letter about what her Valentine meant to you, or the moment you knew you liked her, is the kind of thing people keep for years.

10. If you didn't get anything

White Day is not only a reply. If there is someone you have liked for a while, 14 March is a gentle excuse to give them a small present and say so.

11. A small keepsake

Sweets are eaten in a day. Pair them with something that stays: a photo of the two of you in a simple frame, a keyring from the place you had your first date, or a pair of matching mugs for your morning coffee. In Korea couple items — matching rings, phone cases, hoodies — are a popular way to mark the day.

A few things to keep in mind

• Answer everyone who gave you something, even if it was courtesy chocolate. Silence on White Day is noticed.
• Match the tone of their gift. A big romantic gesture in reply to a colleague's giri choco is too much.
• Don't forget the date. It falls one month after Valentine's, and it comes round faster than you think.