Saint Valentine's Day, also known
as Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is a holiday
observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries
around the world, although it is not a holiday in most of them.
St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. Several martyrdom stories were invented for the various Valentines that belonged to February 14, and added to later martyrologies. A popular hagiographical account of Saint Valentine of Rome states that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to legend, during his imprisonment, he healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius. An embellishment to this story states that before his execution he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell. Today, Saint Valentine's Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Valentine's Day, albeit on July 6 and July 30, the former date in honor of the Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni). In Brazil, the Dia de São Valentim is recognized on June 12.
The day was first associated
with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle
Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18th-century
England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their
love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and
sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). In Europe, Saint
Valentine's Keys are given to lovers "as a romantic symbol and an
invitation to unlock the giver’s heart", as well as to children, in
order to ward off Saint Valentine's Malady. Valentine's Day symbols that
are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure
of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have
given way to mass-produced greeting cards.
Historical facts
Numerous
early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. The Valentines honored on
February 14 are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and
Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae). Valentine of
Rome was a priest in Rome who was martyred about AD 496 and was buried
on the Via Flaminia. The relics of Saint Valentine were kept in the
Church and Catacombs of San Valentino in Rome, which "remained an
important pilgrim site throughout the Middle Ages until the relics of
St. Valentine were transferred to the church of Santa Prassede during
the pontificate of Nicholas IV". The flower-crowned skull of Saint
Valentine is exhibited in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome.
Other relics are found at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin,
Ireland. Valentine of Terni became bishop of Interamna (modern Terni)
about AD 197 and is said to have been martyred during the persecution
under Emperor Aurelian. He is also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a
different location than Valentine of Rome. His relics are at the
Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni (Basilica di San Valentino). Jack
B. Oruch states that "abstracts of the acts of the two saints were in
nearly every church and monastery of Europe." The Catholic Encyclopedia
also speaks of a third saint named Valentine who was mentioned in early
martyrologies under date of February 14. He was martyred in Africa with a
number of companions, but nothing more is known about him. Saint
Valentine's head was preserved in the abbey of New Minster, Winchester,
and venerated.
February 14 is celebrated as St.
Valentine's Day in various Christian denominations; it has, for example,
the rank of 'commemoration' in the calendar of saints in the Anglican
Communion. In addition, the feast day of Saint Valentine is also given
in the calendar of saints of the Lutheran Church. However, in the 1969
revision of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints, the feast day of
Saint Valentine on February 14 was removed from the General Roman
Calendar and relegated to particular (local or even national) calendars
for the following reason: "Though the memorial of Saint Valentine is
ancient, it is left to particular calendars, since, apart from his name,
nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the
Via Flaminia on February 14." The feast day is still celebrated in
Balzan (Malta) where relics of the saint are claimed to be found, and
also throughout the world by Traditionalist Catholics who follow the
older, pre-Second Vatican Council calendar. In the Eastern Orthodox
Church, St. Valentine's Day is celebrated on July 6, in which Saint
Valentine, the Roman presbyter, is honoured; furthermore, the Eastern
Orthodox Church obsesrves the feast of Hieromartyr Valentine, Bishop of
Interamna, on July 30.
Legends
J.C.
Cooper, in The Dictionary of Christianity, writes that Saint Valentine
was "a priest of Rome who was imprisoned for succouring persecuted
Christians." Contemporary records of Saint Valentine were most probably
destroyed during this Diocletianic Persecution in the early 4th century.
In the 5th or 6th century, a work called Passio Marii et Marthae
published a story of martyrdom for Saint Valentine of Rome, perhaps by
borrowing tortures that happened to other saints, as was usual in the
literature of that period. The same events are also found in Bede's
Martyrology, which was compiled in the 8th century. It states that Saint
Valentine was persecuted as a Christian and interrogated by Roman
Emperor Claudius II in person. Claudius was impressed by Valentine and
had a discussion with him, attempting to get him to convert to Roman
paganism in order to save his life. Valentine refused and tried to
convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Because of this, he was
executed. Before his execution, he is reported to have performed a
miracle by healing Julia, the blind daughter of his jailer Asterius. The
jailer's daughter and his forty-four member household (family members
and servants) came to believe in Jesus and were baptized. A later Passio
repeated the legend, adding that Pope Julius I built a church over his
sepulchre (it is a confusion with a 4th-century tribune called Valentino
who donated land to build a church at a time when Julius was a Pope).
The legend was picked up as fact by later martyrologies, starting by
Bede's martyrology in the 8th century. It was repeated in the 13th
century, in Legenda Aurea. The book expounded briefly the Early Medieval
acta of several Saint Valentines, and this legend was assigned to the
Valentine under February 14.
There is an additional
embellishment to The Golden Legend, which according to Henry Ansgar
Kelly, was added centuries later, and widely repeated. On the evening
before Valentine was to be executed, he would have written the first
"valentine" card himself, addressed to the daughter of his jailer
Asterius, who was no longer blind, signing as "Your Valentine." The
expression "From your Valentine" was later adopted by modern Valentine
letters. This legend has been published by both American Greetings and
The History Channel.
John Foxe, an English historian,
as well as the Order of Carmelites, state that Saint Valentine was
buried in the Church of Praxedes in Rome, located near the cemetery of
Saint Hippolytus. This order says that according to legend, "Julia
herself planted a pink-blossomed almond tree near his grave. Today, the
almond tree remains a symbol of abiding love and friendship."
Another
embellishment is that Saint Valentine would have performed clandestine
Christian weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry. The Roman
Emperor Claudius II supposedly forbade this in order to grow his army,
believing that married men did not make for good soldiers. However, this
supposed marriage ban was never issued, and in fact Claudius II told
his soldiers to take two or three women for themselves after his victory
over the Goths.
According to legend, in order "to
remind these men of their vows and God’s love, Saint Valentine is said
to have cut hearts from parchment", giving them to these soldiers and
persecuted Christians, a possible origin of the widespread use of hearts
on St. Valentine's Day.
Saint Valentine supposedly
wore a purple amethyst ring, customarily worn on the hands of Christian
bishops with an image of Cupid engraved in it, a recognizable symbol
associated with love that was legal under the Roman Empire; Roman
soldiers would recognize the ring and ask him to perform marriage for
them. Probably because of the association with Saint Valentine, amethyst
has become the birthstone of February, and it's thought to attract
love.
Folk traditions
While the
European folk traditions connected with Saint Valentine and St.
Valentine's Day have become marginalized by the modern Anglo-American
customs connecting the day with romantic love, there are some remaining
associations connecting the saint with the advent of spring.
While
the custom of sending cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts
originated in the UK, Valentine's Day still remains connected with
various regional customs in England. In Norfolk, a character called
'Jack' Valentine knocks on the rear door of houses leaving sweets and
presents for children. Although he was leaving treats, many children
were scared of this mystical person.
In Slovenia, Saint
Valentine or Zdravko was one of the saints of spring, the saint of good
health and the patron of beekeepers and pilgrims. A proverb says that
"Saint Valentine brings the keys of roots". Plants and flowers start to
grow on this day. It has been celebrated as the day when the first work
in the vineyards and in the fields commences. It is also said that birds
propose to each other or marry on that day. Another proverb says
"Valentin – prvi spomladin" ("Valentine — the first spring saint"), as
in some places (especially White Carniola), Saint Valentine marks the
beginning of spring. Valentine's Day has only recently been celebrated
as the day of love. The day of love was traditionally March 12, the
Saint Gregory's day, or February 22, Saint Vincent's Day. The patron of
love was Saint Anthony, whose day has been celebrated on June 13.
Lupercalia
There
is no evidence of any link between St. Valentine's Day and the rites of
the ancient Roman festival, despite many claims by many authors. The
celebration of Saint Valentine did not have any romantic connotations
until Chaucer's poetry about "Valentines" in the 14th century.
Popular
modern sources claim links to unspecified Greco-Roman February holidays
alleged to be devoted to fertility and love to St. Valentine's Day, but
prior to Chaucer in the 14th century, there were no links between the
Saints named Valentinus and romantic love. Earlier links as described
above were focused on sacrifice rather than romantic love. In the
ancient Athenian calendar the period between mid-January and
mid-February was the month of Gamelion, dedicated to the sacred marriage
of Zeus and Hera.
In Ancient Rome, Lupercalia, observed February 13–15, was an archaic rite connected to fertility. Lupercalia was a festival local to the city of Rome. The more general Festival of Juno Februa, meaning "Juno the purifier "or "the chaste Juno", was celebrated on February 13–14. Pope Gelasius I (492–496) abolished Lupercalia. Some researchers have theorized that Gelasius I replaced Lupercalia with the celebration of the Purification of Mary in February 14 and claim a connection to the 14th century's connotations of romantic love, but there is no historical indication that he ever intended such a thing. Also, the dates don't fit because at the time of Gelasius I the feast was only celebrated in Jerusalem, and it was on February 14 only because Jerusalem placed the Nativity on January 6. Although it was called "Purification of Mary", it dealt mainly with the presentation of Jesus at the temple. The Jerusalem's Purification of Mary on February 14 became the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple on February 2 as it was introduced to Rome and other places in the sixth century, after Gelasius I's time.
Alban Butler in his
Lifes of the Principal Saints (1756–1759) claimed without proof that men
and women in Lupercalia drew names from a jar to make couples, and that
modern Valentine's letters originated from this custom. In reality,
this practice originated in the Middle Ages, with no link to Lupercalia,
with men drawing the names of girls at random to couple with them. This
custom was combated by priests, for example by Frances de Sales around
1600, apparently by replacing it with a religious custom of girls
drawing the names of apostles from the altar. However, this religious
custom is recorded as soon as the 13th century in the life of Saint
Elizabeth of Hungary, so it could have a different origin.
Chaucer's love birds
Jack
B. Oruch writes that the first recorded association of Valentine's Day
with romantic love is in Parlement of Foules (1382) by Geoffrey Chaucer.
Chaucer wrote:
For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.
["For this was on St. Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate."]
This
poem was written to honor the first anniversary of the engagement of
King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia. A treaty providing for a
marriage was signed on May 2, 1381. (When they were married eight months
later, they were each only 15 years old).
Readers have
uncritically assumed that Chaucer was referring to February 14 as
Valentine's Day; however, mid-February is an unlikely time for birds to
be mating in England. Henry Ansgar Kelly has pointed out that Chaucer
could be referring to May 3, the celebration in the liturgical calendar
of Valentine of Genoa, an early bishop of Genoa who died around AD 307.
Jack B. Oruch says that date for the start of Spring has changed since
Chaucer's time because of the precession of equinoxes and the
introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582. The date would
correspond to the modern 23 February, a time when some birds have
started mating and nesting in England.
Chaucer's
Parliament of Foules is set in a fictional context of an old tradition,
but in fact there was no such tradition before Chaucer. The speculative
explanation of sentimental customs, posing as historical fact, had their
origins among 18th-century antiquaries, notably Alban Butler, the
author of Butler's Lives of Saints, and have been perpetuated even by
respectable modern scholars. Most notably, "the idea that Valentine's
Day customs perpetuated those of the Roman Lupercalia has been accepted
uncritically and repeated, in various forms, up to the present".
There
were three other authors who made poems about birds mating in St.
Valentine's Day around the same years: Otton de Grandson from Savoy,
John Gower from England, and a knight called Pardo from Valencia.
Chaucer most probably predated all of them, but, due to the difficulty
of dating medieval works, we can't know for sure who of the four had the
idea first and influenced the others.
China
In
China, the common situation is the man gives chocolate, flowers or both
to the woman that he loves. In Chinese, Valentine's Day is called
lovers' festival (simplified Chinese: ???; traditional Chinese: ???;
pinyin: qíng rén jié). The so-called "Chinese Valentine's Day" is the
Qixi Festival, celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month of the
lunar calendar. It commemorates a day on which a legendary cowherder
and weaving maid are allowed to be together. Valentine's Day on February
14 is not celebrated because it is often too close to the Chinese New
Year, which usually falls on either January or February.[citation
needed] In Chinese culture, there is an older observance related to
lovers, called "The Night of Sevens" (Chinese: ??; pinyin: Qi Xi).
According to the legend, the Cowherd star and the Weaver Maid star are
normally separated by the Milky Way (silvery river) but are allowed to
meet by crossing it on the 7th day of the 7th month of the Chinese
calendar.
In recent years, celebrating White Day has also become fashionable among some young people.
Finland and Estonia
In
Finland Valentine's Day is called Ystävänpäivä which translates into
"Friend's Day". As the name indicates, this day is more about
remembering all your friends, not significant others. In Estonia
Valentine's Day is called sõbrapäev, which has the same meaning.
France
In
France, a traditionally Catholic country, Valentine's Day is known
simply as "Saint Valentin", and is celebrated in much the same way as
other western countries.
Greece
St.
Valentine's Day, or in Greek tradition was not associated with romantic
love; In the Eastern Orthodox church there is another Saint who protects
people who are in love, Hyacinth of Caesarea (feast day 3 July), but in
contemporary Greece, this tradition has mostly been superseded by the
"globalized" form of Valentine's Day.
In India, in antiquity, there was a tradition of adoring Kamadeva, the lord of love; exemplificated by the erotic carvings in the Khajuraho Group of Monuments and by the writing of the Kamasutra treaty of lovemaking. This tradition was lost around the Middle Ages, when Kamadeva was no longer celebrated, and public displays of sexual affection became frowned upon. This repression of public affections persisted until the 1990s.
In the state of West Bengal,
Saraswati Puja, a festival observed in early spring where Saraswati,
the goddess of learning is worshipped; has often been seen as a Bengali
version of Valentine's Day; especially among the urban middle-class
youth.
Valentine's Day celebrations did not catch on in
India until around 1992. It was spread due to the programs in
commercial TV channels, such as MTV, dedicated radio programs and love
letter competitions, in addition to an economical liberalization that
allowed the explosion of the valentine card industry. Economic
liberalization also helped the Valentine card industry. The celebration
has caused a sharp change on how people have been displaying their
affection in public since the Middle Ages.
In modern
times, Hindu and Islamic traditionalists have considered the holiday to
be cultural contamination from the West, a result of the globalization
in India. Shiv Sena and the Sangh Parivar have asked their followers to
shun the holiday and the "public admission of love" because of them
being "alien to Indian culture". Although these protests are organized
by political elites, the protesters themselves are middle-class Hindu
men who fear that the globalization will destroy the traditions in their
society: arranged marriages, Hindu joint families, full-time mothers,
etc.
Despite these obstacles, Valentine's Day is becoming increasingly popular in India.
Valentine's
Day has been strongly criticized from a postcolonial perspective by
intellectuals from the Indian left. The holiday is regarded as a front
for "Western imperialism", "neocolonialism", and "the exploitation of
working classes through commercialism by multinational corporations".
Studies have shown that Valentine's Day promotes and exacerbates income
inequality in India, and aids in the creation of a pseudo-westernized
middle class.[citation needed] As a result, the working classes and
rural poor become more disconnected socially, politically, and
geographically from the hegemonic capitalist power structure. They also
criticize mainstream media attacks on Indians opposed to Valentine's Day
as a form of demonization that is designed and derived to further the
Valentine's Day agenda. Right wing Hindu nationalists are also hostile.
In February 2012 Subash Chouhan of the Bajrang Dal warned couples that
"They cannot kiss or hug in public places. Our activists will beat them
up". He said "We are not against love, but we criticize vulgar
exhibition of love at public places".
Iran
In
Iran, the Sepandarmazgan, or Esfandegan, is a festival where people
express love towards their mothers and wives, and it is also a
celebration of earth in ancient Persian culture. It has been
progressively forgotten in favor of the Western celebration of
Valentine's Day. The Association of Iran's Cultural and Natural
Phenomena has been trying since 2006 to make Sepandarmazgan a national
holiday on 17 February, in order to replace the Western holiday.
Israel
In
Israel, the Jewish tradition of Tu B'Av has been revived and
transformed into the Jewish equivalent of Valentine's Day. It is
celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Av (usually in late August).
In ancient times girls would wear white dresses and dance in the
vineyards, where the boys would be waiting for them (Mishna Taanith end
of Chapter 4). Today, Tu B'Av is celebrated as a second holiday of love
by secular people (beside Valentine's Day), and it shares many of the
customs associated with Saint Valentine's Day in western societies. In
modern Israeli culture Tu B'Av is a popular day to pronounce love,
propose marriage and give gifts like cards or flowers.
Japan
In
Japan, Morozoff Ltd. introduced the holiday for the first time in 1936,
when it ran an advertisement aimed at foreigners. Later in 1953 it
began promoting the giving of heart-shaped chocolates; other Japanese
confectionery companies followed suit thereafter. In 1958 the Isetan
department store ran a "Valentine sale". Further campaigns during the
1960s popularized the custom.
The custom that only
women give chocolates to men may have originated from the translation
error of a chocolate-company executive during the initial campaigns.[88]
In particular, office ladies give chocolate to their co-workers. Unlike
western countries, gifts such as greeting cards, candies, flowers, or
dinner dates[89] are uncommon, and most of the activity about the gifts
is about giving the right amount of chocolate to each person. Japanese
chocolate companies make half their annual sales during this time of the
year.
Many women feel obliged to give chocolates to
all male co-workers, except when the day falls on a Sunday, a holiday.
This is known as giri-choko (?????), from giri ("obligation") and choko,
("chocolate"), with unpopular co-workers receiving only
"ultra-obligatory" cho-giri choko cheap chocolate. This contrasts with
honmei-choko (?????, favorite chocolate), chocolate given to a loved
one. Friends, especially girls, may exchange chocolate referred to as
tomo-choko (????); from tomo meaning "friend".
In the
1980s the Japanese National Confectionery Industry Association launched a
successful campaign to make March 14 a "reply day", where men are
expected to return the favour to those who gave them chocolates on
Valentine's Day, calling it White Day for the color of the chocolates
being offered. A previous failed attempt to popularize this celebration
had been done by a marshmallow manufacturer who wanted men to return
marshmallows to women.
Men are expected to return gifts
that are at least two or three times more valuable than the gifts
received in Valentine's Day. Not returning the gift is perceived as the
man placing himself in a position of superiority, even if excuses are
given. Returning a present of equal value is considered as a way to say
that you are cutting the relationship. Originally only chocolate was
given, but now the gifts of jewelry, accessories, clothing and lingerie
are usual. According to the official website of White Day, the color
white was chosen because it's the color of purity, evoking "pure, sweet
teen love", and because it's also the color of sugar. The initial name
was "Ai ni Kotaeru White Day" (Answer Love on White Day).
In Japan, the romantic "date night" associated to Valentine's Day is celebrated on Christmas Eve.
In
a 2006 survey of people between 10 and 49 years of age in Japan, Oricon
Style found the 1986 Sayuri Kokusho single "Valentine Kiss" to be the
most popular Valentine's Day song, even though it sold only 317,000
copies. The singles it beat in the ranking were number one selling "Love
Love Love" from Dreams Come True (2,488,630 copies) and "Valentine's
Radio" from Yumi Matsutoya (1,606,780 copies). The final song in the top
five was "My Funny Valentine" by Miles Davis.
In
Japan, a slightly different version of a holiday based on a lovers'
story called Tanabata (??) has been celebrated for centuries, on July 7
(Gregorian calendar). It has been considered by Westerners as similar to
St. Valentine's Day, but it's not related to it, and its origins are
completely different.
Latin America
In
some Latin American countries Valentine's Day is known as "Día del Amor
y la Amistad" (Day of Love and Friendship). For example Colombia, Costa
Rica, the Dominican Republic,[citation needed] Ecuador, Mexico, and
Puerto Rico, as well as others. It is also common to see people perform
"acts of appreciation" for their friends. In Guatemala it is known as
the "Día del Cariño" (Affection Day). In Brazil, the Dia dos Namorados
(lit. "Lovers' Day", or "Boyfriends'/Girlfriends' Day") is celebrated on
June 12, probably because that is the day before Saint Anthony's day,
known there as the marriage saint, when traditionally many single women
perform popular rituals, called simpatias, in order to find a good
husband or boyfriend. Couples exchange gifts, chocolates, cards and
flower bouquets. The February 14 Valentine's Day is not celebrated at
all because it usually falls too little before or too little after the
Brazilian Carnival — that can fall anywhere from early February to early
March and lasts almost a week. Because of the absence of Valentine's
Day and due to the celebrations of the Carnivals, Brazil is a popular
tourist spot during February for Western singles who want to get away
from the holiday.
In most of Latin America the Día del
amor y la amistad and the Amigo secreto ("Secret friend") are quite
popular and are usually celebrated together on the 14 February (one
exception is Colombia, where it is celebrated on the third Saturday in
September). The latter consists of randomly assigning to each
participant a recipient who is to be given an anonymous gift (similar to
the Christmas tradition of Secret Santa).
A chocolate gift box
Cup cake with hearts
Philippines
In
the Philippines, Valentine's Day is called Araw ng mga Puso ("Hearts
Day"), and is celebrated in much the same manner as in the West. It is
usually marked by a steep increase in the price of flowers, particularly
red roses.
Portugal
In Portugal it is more commonly referred to as "Dia dos Namorados" (Lover's Day / Day of the Enamoured).
Romania
In
recent years, Romania has also started celebrating Valentine's Day.
This has drawn backlash from several groups, institutions and
nationalist organizations like Noua Dreapta, who condemn Valentine's Day
for being superficial, commercialist and imported Western kitsch. In
order to counter the perceived denaturation of national culture,
Dragobete, a spring festival celebrated in parts of Southern Romania,
has been rekindled as the traditional Romanian holiday for lovers. Its
date used to vary depending on the geographical area, however nowadays
it is commonly observed on February 24. The holiday is named after a
character from Romanian folklore who was supposed to be the son of Baba
Dochia. His name has been associated, possibly through folk etymology,
to the word drag ("dear"), which can also be found in the word dragoste
("love").
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
has illegalized Valentine's Day. Youth people in Saudi Arabia has
arrested since Saudi Arabia think Valentine's Day is not an Islamic
festival.
Scandinavia
In Denmark and
Norway, although February 14 is known as Valentinsdag, it is not
celebrated to a large extent, but is largely imported from American
culture, and some people take time to eat a romantic dinner with their
partner, to send a card to a secret love or give a red rose to their
loved one. The cut-flower industry in particular is still working on
promoting the holiday. In Sweden it is called Alla hjärtans dag ("All
Hearts' Day") and was launched in the 1960s by the flower industry's
commercial interests, and due to the influence of American culture. It
is not an official holiday, but its celebration is recognized and sales
of cosmetics and flowers for this holiday are only exceeded by those for
Mother's Day.
Singapore
According to
findings, Singaporeans are among the biggest spenders on Valentine's
Day, with 60% of Singaporeans indicating that they would spend between
$100 and $500 during the season leading up to the holiday.
South Korea
In
South Korea, women give chocolate to men on February 14, and men give
non-chocolate candy to women on March 14 (White Day). On April 14 (Black
Day), those who did not receive anything on 14 February or March go to a
Chinese-Korean restaurant to eat black noodles (jajangmyeon) and lament
their 'single life'. Koreans also celebrate Pepero Day on November 11,
when young couples give each other Pepero cookies. The date '11/11' is
intended to resemble the long shape of the cookie. The 14th of every
month marks a love-related day in Korea, although most of them are
obscure. From January to December: Candle Day, Valentine's Day, White
Day, Black Day, Rose Day, Kiss Day, Silver Day, Green Day, Music Day,
Wine Day, Movie Day, and Hug Day.[104] Korean women give a much higher
amount of chocolate than Japanese women.
Spain
In
Spain, Valentine's Day is known as "San Valentín" and is celebrated the
same way as in the UK, it is however not celebrated in Catalonia.
Taiwan
In
Taiwan, traditional Qixi Festival, Valentine's Day and White Day are
all celebrated. However, the situation is the reverse of Japan's. Men
give gifts to women on Valentine's Day, and women return them on White
Day.
Wales
In Wales, many people
celebrate Dydd Santes Dwynwen (St Dwynwen's Day) on January 25 instead
of (or as well as) Valentine's Day. The day commemorates St Dwynwen, the
patron saint of Welsh lovers.
Conflict with Islamic countries and political parties
Iran
In
the first part of the 21st century, the celebration of Valentine's Day
in Iran has been harshly criticized by Islamic teachers who see the
celebrations as opposed to Islamic culture. In 2011, the Iranian
printing works owners' union issued a directive banning the printing and
distribution of any goods promoting the holiday, including cards, gifts
and teddy bears. "Printing and producing any goods related to this day
including posters, boxes and cards emblazoned with hearts or
half-hearts, red roses and any activities promoting this day are banned
... Outlets that violate this will be legally dealt with", the union
warned.
Malaysia
Islamic officials in
Malaysia warned Muslims against celebrating Valentine's Day, linking it
with vice activities. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the
celebration of romantic love was "not suitable" for Muslims. Wan Mohamad
Sheikh Abdul Aziz, head of the Malaysian Islamic Development Department
(Jakim), which oversees the country's Islamic policies said that a
fatwa (ruling) issued by the country's top clerics in 2005 noted that
the day 'is associated with elements of Christianity,' and 'we just
cannot get involved with other religions' worshipping rituals.' Jakim
officials planned to carry out a nationwide campaign called "Awas Jerat
Valentine's Day" ("Mind the Valentine's Day Trap"), aimed at preventing
Muslims from celebrating the day on 14 February 2011. Activities include
conducting raids in hotels to stop young couples from having unlawful
sex and distributing leaflets to Muslim university students warning them
against the day.
On Valentine's Day 2011, Malaysian
religious authorities arrested more than 100 Muslim couples concerning
the celebration ban. Some of them would be charged in the Shariah Court
for defying the department's ban against the celebration of Valentine's
Day.
Pakistan
The concept of
Valentine's Day was introduced into Pakistan during the late 1990s with
special TV and radio programs. The Jamaat-e-Islami political party has
called for the banning of Valentine's Day celebration. Despite this, the
celebration is becoming popular among urban youth and the florists
expect to sell a great amount of flowers, especially red roses. The case
is the same with card publishers.
There was a protest
in Lahore against the celebration of St. Valentine’s Day led by the
"Tahaffuz-e-Namoose-Risaalat [an organization defending the Prophet's
code of life]."
Saudi Arabia
In Saudi
Arabia, in 2002 and 2008, religious police banned the sale of all
Valentine's Day items, telling shop workers to remove any red items,
because the day is considered a Christian holiday. This ban has created a
black market for roses and wrapping paper. In 2012 the religious police
arrested more than 140 Muslims for celebrating the holiday, and
confiscated all red roses from flower shops. Muslims are not allowed to
celebrate the holiday, and non-Muslims can celebrate only behind closed
doors.
In 2014, religious police in Saudi Arabia
arrested five men for celebrating St. Valentine's Day "in the company"
of six women. The Buraidah criminal court pronounced sentences totaling
32 years of imprisonment and 4,500 lashes to the men.
"Saudi
cleric Sheikh Muhammad Al-'Arifi said on Valentine's Day Eve that
celebrating this holiday constitutes bid'a – a forbidden innovation and
deviation from religious law and custom – and mimicry of the West."
Sailor's valentine
Saint Valentine's Day Massacre
Singles Awareness Day
Valentine's Day (2010 film)
V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women and girls.
Women's Memorial March, held on Valentine's Day in Vancouver, British Columbia.
