Hong Kong (CNN) -- As "Black Friday" follows Thanksgiving in the United States, "White Day" follows Valentines Day in Japan. Card makers, retailers and advertisers have young people planning weeks ahead to make their "Friendship Day" buys in India, clicking their favorite online purchases on "Singles Day" in China, and even eating their hearts out at fast-food giant KFC in Japan for Christmas. Much as Thanksgiving has spurred businesses to create Black Friday (and now Gray Thursday and Cyber Monday) to get shoppers into stores, countries around the world have turned average dates on the calendar into must-buy events. We take a look at a few such engineered days that promise love and happiness through retail therapy -- and, of course, profits for the companies behind it.
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Thanksgiving has spurred businesses to create versions of Black Friday's globally
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Artificially-engineered days that promise love, happiness and profits through retail therapy
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A day to trump them all has also taken shape to counter the global consumer
Valentines Day
And so, on White Day, celebrated exactly a month after @placeholder in February, men are supposed to return the favor of love and the giri choco, or obligation chocolates.
White Day
@placeholder was first observed over 30 years ago by Japanese confectionary companies, according to Japanese media.
Japan
Japan
White Day was first observed over 30 years ago by @placeholder confectionary companies, according to Japanese media.
Friendship Day
The origins of @placeholder in India though, are fuzzy at best.
India
The origins of Friendship Day in @placeholder though, are fuzzy at best.
Singles Day
"@placeholder" is China's version of Valentine's Day for people without romantic partners who treat each other to dinners and gifts bought online.
KFC
It all started when a western man in Japan substituted @placeholder chicken for turkey in his Christmas meal in the early 1970s, according to the company.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
In the U.S., it is the day after @placeholder and is meant to offset Black Friday.
Black Friday
Black Friday
Gray Thursday
Black Friday
In the U.S., it is the day after Thanksgiving and is meant to offset @placeholder.