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Saint Valentine's Day, often simply
Valentine's Day,
[1][2][3] is observed on February 14 each year. Today Valentine's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world, mostly in the
West, although it remains a working day in all of them.
The original "St. Valentine" was just a lithurgical celebration of one or more early Christian saint named
Valentinus. All the modern romantic connotations were added several centuries later by poets. Several martyrdom stories were invented for the various Valentines that belonged to 14th February, and added to later
martyrologies. This celebration was
deleted from the
General Roman Calendar of saints in 1969 by
Pope Paul VI.
The day first became associated with
romantic love in the circle of
Geoffrey Chaucer in the
High Middle Ages, when the tradition of
courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had 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").
[1][3]
Modern Valentine's Day symbols 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.
[4]
Historical facts
Numerous early
Christian martyrs were named
Valentine.
[5] The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (
Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (
Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae).
[6] Valentine of Rome
[7] was a priest in Rome who was martyred about AD 269 and was buried on the
Via Flaminia. The flower crowned skull
[8] of St Valentine is exhibited in the Basilica of
Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome. Other relics are found in the Basilica of
Santa Prassede,
[9] also in Rome, as well as at
Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland.
Valentine of Terni
[10] 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).
[11]
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.
[12]
No romantic elements are present in the original early
medieval biographies of either of these martyrs. By the time a Saint Valentine became linked to romance in the 14th century, distinctions between Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni were utterly lost.
[13]
Saint Valentine's head was preserved in the abbey of
New Minster, Winchester and venerated. But there is no evidence that Saint Valentine was a popular saint before Chaucer's poems in 14th century, not even in the area of Winchester.
[14] Saint Valentine's celebration didn't differ from the celebrations of many other saints, and no church was ever dedicated to him.
[14]
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."
[15] 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. February 14 is also celebrated as St Valentine's Day in other Christian denominations; it has, for example, the rank of 'commemoration' in the calendar of the
Church of England and other parts of the
Anglican Communion.
[16]
Legends
In the 5th or 6th century, a work called
Passio Marii et Marthae invented a story of martyrdom for Saint Valentine of Rome, with apparently no basis on any historical fact.
[17] It claims that St 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 the blind daughter of his jailer Asterius. A later
Passio repeated the legend, adding the invention that
Pope Julius I built a church over his sepulcre (it's a confusion with a 4th century tribune called Valentino who donated land to build a church at a time when Julius was a Pope).
[17] The legend was picked up as fact by later martyrologies, starting by
Bede's martyrology in the 8th century.
[17] It was repeated in the 13th century, in
Legenda Aurea.
[18] The book expounded briefly the Early Medieval
acta of several Saint Valentines, and this legend was assigned to the Valentine under 14th February.
Since
Legenda Aurea still provided no connections whatsoever with sentimental love, appropriate lore has been embroidered in modern times to portray Valentine as a priest who refused an unattested law attributed to Roman Emperor Claudius II, allegedly ordering that young men remain single. The Emperor supposedly did this to grow his army, believing that married men did not make for good soldiers. The priest Valentine, however, secretly performed marriage ceremonies for young men. When Claudius found out about this, he had Valentine arrested and thrown in jail.
There is an additional modern embellishment to
The Golden Legend, provided by
American Greetings to
History.com, and widely repeated despite having no historical basis whatsoever. 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, who was no longer blind, signing as "From your Valentine."
[19][14]
Attested traditions
Lupercalia
There is no evidence of any link between
Saint Valentine's Day and the rites of the ancient Roman festival, despite many claims by many authors.
[20][14] The celebration of Saint Valentine didn't have any romantic connotations until
Chaucer's poetry about "Valentines" in the 14th century.
[21]
Popular modern sources link 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, no links between the Saints named Valentinus and romantic love existed.
[21] 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.
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.
[14]
Chaucer's love birds
The first recorded association of Valentine's Day with romantic love is in
Parlement of Foules (1382) by
Geoffrey Chaucer[22] Chaucer wrote:
For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.
["For this was on Saint 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.
[23] A treaty providing for a marriage was signed on May 2, 1381.
[24] (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 2, the celebration in the liturgical calendar of Valentine of Genoa, an early
bishop of Genoa who died around AD 307.
[25][26]
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".
[27][14]
There were other three authors who made poems about birds mating in Saint 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.
[28]
Medieval period and the English Renaissance
Using the language of the law courts for the rituals of
courtly love, a "
High Court of Love" was probably established by princess
Isabel of Bavaria in Paris in 1400. It was founded on 6th January, the festivity of a Bavarian Saint Valentin, with
The Charter of the Court of Love.
[29] The court dealt with love contracts, betrayals, and violence against women. Judges were selected by women on the basis of a poetry reading.
[30][31][29] It was probably based on the poems of Grandson, and not on the poems of Chaucer.
[29] It's possible that the actual Court never existed and that it was all an invention of the princess.
[29]
The earliest surviving valentine is a 15th-century
rondeau written by
Charles, Duke of Orléans to his wife, which commences.
Je suis desja d'amour tanné
Ma tres doulce Valentinée...
—Charles d'Orléans,
Rondeau VI, lines 1–2[32]
At the time, the duke was being held in the
Tower of London following his capture at the
Battle of Agincourt, 1415.
[33]
Valentine's Day is mentioned ruefully by Ophelia in
Hamlet (1600–1601):
To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.
—William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5
John Donne used the legend of the marriage of the birds as the starting point for his
Epithalamion celebrating the marriage of
Elizabeth, daughter of
James I of England, and
Frederick V, Elector Palatine on Valentine's Day:
Hayle Bishop Valentine whose day this is
All the Ayre is thy Diocese
And all the chirping Queristers
And other birds ar thy parishioners
Thou marryest every yeare
The Lyrick Lark, and the graue whispering Doue,
The Sparrow that neglects his life for loue,
The houshold bird with the redd stomacher
Thou makst the Blackbird speede as soone,
As doth the Goldfinch, or the Halcyon
The Husband Cock lookes out and soone is spedd
And meets his wife, which brings her feather-bed.
This day more cheerfully than ever shine
This day which might inflame thy selfe old Valentine.
—John Donne, Epithalamion Vpon Frederick Count Palatine and the Lady Elizabeth marryed on St. Valentines day
The verse
Roses are red echoes conventions traceable as far back as
Edmund Spenser's epic
The Faerie Queene (1590):
She bath'd with roses red, and violets blew,
And all the sweetest flowres, that in the forrest grew.[34]
The modern cliché Valentine's Day poem can be found in the collection of English nursery rhymes
Gammer Gurton's Garland (1784):
The rose is red, the violet's blue,
The honey's sweet, and so are you.
Thou art my love and I am thine;
I drew thee to my Valentine:
The lot was cast and then I drew,
And Fortune said it shou'd be you.[35][36]
Valentine's Day postcard, circa 1910
Modern times
In 1797, a British publisher issued
The Young Man's Valentine Writer, which contained scores of suggested sentimental verses for the young lover unable to compose his own. Printers had already begun producing a limited number of cards with verses and sketches, called "mechanical valentines," and a
reduction in postal rates in the next century ushered in the less personal but easier practice of mailing Valentines. That, in turn, made it possible for the first time to exchange cards anonymously, which is taken as the reason for the sudden appearance of racy verse in an era otherwise prudishly
Victorian.
[37]
Paper Valentines became so popular in England in the early 19th century that they were assembled in factories. Fancy Valentines were made with real lace and ribbons, with paper lace introduced in the mid-19th century.
[38] The reinvention of Saint Valentine's Day in the 1840s has been traced by Leigh Eric Schmidt.
[39] As a writer in
Graham's American Monthly observed in 1849, "Saint Valentine's Day... is becoming, nay it has become, a national holyday."
[40] In the United States, the first mass-produced valentines of embossed paper lace were produced and sold shortly after 1847 by
Esther Howland (1828–1904) of
Worcester, Massachusetts.
[41][42]
Child dressed in Valentine's Day-themed clothing.
Her father operated a large book and stationery store, but Howland took her inspiration from an English Valentine she had received from a business associate of her father.
[43][44] Intrigued with the idea of making similar Valentines, Howland began her business by importing paper lace and floral decorations from England.
[44][45] The English practice of sending Valentine's cards was established enough to feature as a plot device in
Elizabeth Gaskell's
Mr. Harrison's Confessions (1851): "I burst in with my explanations: '"The valentine I know nothing about." '"It is in your handwriting", said he coldly.
[46] Since 2001, the Greeting Card Association has been giving an annual "Esther Howland Award for a Greeting Card Visionary."
[42]
Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.
[4] In the UK, just under half of the population spend money on their Valentines and around 1.3 billion pounds are spent yearly on cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts, with an estimated 25 million cards being sent.
[47] The mid-19th century Valentine's Day trade was a harbinger of further commercialized holidays in the United States to follow.
[48]
Box of Valentine chocolates
In the second half of the 20th century, the practice of exchanging cards was extended to all manner of gifts in the United States. Such gifts typically include
roses and
chocolates packed in a red satin, heart-shaped box. In the 1980s, the
diamond industry began to promote Valentine's Day as an occasion for giving
jewelry.
The U.S.
Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately 190 million valentines are sent each year in the US. Half of those valentines are given to family members other than husband or wife, usually to children. When you include the valentine-exchange cards made in school activities the figure goes up to 1 billion, and teachers become the people receiving the most valentines.
[41] In some North American
elementary schools, children decorate classrooms, exchange cards, and are given sweets. The greeting cards of these students sometimes mention what they appreciate about each other.
The rise of Internet popularity at the turn of the millennium is creating new traditions. Millions of people use, every year, digital means of creating and sending Valentine's Day greeting messages such as
e-cards,
love coupons or printable greeting cards. An estimated 15 million e-valentines were sent in 2010.
[41]
Valentine's Day is considered by some to be a
Hallmark holiday due to its commercialization.
[49]
Antique and vintage Valentines, 1850–1950
Valentines of the mid-19th and early 20th centuries
-
Esther Howland Valentine, circa 1850: "Weddings now are all the go, Will you marry me or no"?
-
Handwritten poem, "To Susanna" dated Valentine's Day, 1850 (Cork, Ireland)
-
Comic Valentine, mid-19th century: "R stands for rod, which can give a smart crack, And ought to be used For a day on your back."
-
Valentine card, 1862: "My dearest Miss, I send thee a kiss" addressed to Miss Jenny Lane of Crostwight Hall,
Smallburgh, Norfolk.
-
Folk art Valentine and envelope dated 1875 addressed to Clara Dunn of Newfield, New Jersey
-
Whitney Valentine, 1887; Howland sold her New England Valentine Company to the George C. Whitney Company in 1881
-
Seascape Valentine, date unknown
-
Vinegar Valentine, circa 1900
Postcards, "pop-ups", and mechanical Valentines, circa 1900–1930
-
Buster Brown Valentine postcard by Richard Felton Outcault, early years of 20th century
-
-
Postcard by Nister, circa 1906
-
Valentine postcard, circa 1900–1910
-
A tiny 2-inch pop-up Valentine, circa 1920
-
Football-playing Disney-like rat and bulldog are set in motion by the pull-tab on the right, circa 1920
-
A grommet affixed to the center of the card permits the dog's eyes to glance side-to-side when the blue bow is moved
-
Rocking horse and rider, circa 1920–1930
Children's Valentines
-
Children's Valentine, 1940–1950
-
Anthropomorphic Valentine, circa 1950–1960
Similar days celebrating love
In the West
Europe
While sending cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts is traditional in the UK, Valentine's Day has various regional customs. 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 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. 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. In Spain Valentine's Day is known as "
San Valentín" and is celebrated the same way as in the UK, although in
Catalonia it is largely superseded by similar festivities of rose and/or book giving on
La Diada de Sant Jordi (Saint George's Day). In Portugal it is more commonly referred to as "Dia dos Namorados" (Lover's Day / Day of those that are in love with each other).
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.
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 only your loved ones. In
Estonia Valentine's Day is called
Sõbrapäev, which has the same meaning.
In
Slovenia, St Valentine or Zdravko was one of the saints of spring, the saint of good health and the patron of beekeepers and pilgrims.
[50] A proverb says that "St 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.
[51] 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 13 June.
[50]
In
Romania, the traditional holiday for lovers is
Dragobete, which is celebrated on February 24. It is named after a character from Romanian folklore who was supposed to be the son of
Baba Dochia. Part of his name is the word
drag ("dear"), which can also be found in the word
dragoste ("love"). In recent years, Romania has also started celebrating Valentine's Day, despite already having Dragobete as a traditional holiday. This has drawn backlash from several groups, institutions
[52] and nationalist organizations like
Noua Dreaptǎ, who condemn Valentine's Day for being superficial, commercialist and imported Western
kitsch.
In
Lithuania and
Latvia, it is common for people to put stickers on faces and clothing of a friend or a relative. The holiday was first celebrated after the two countries gained independence from Soviet Union in 1990.
Valentine's Day is called
Ημέρα του Αγίου Βαλεντίνου in Greece and
Cyprus, which translates into "St Valentines day". In the Orthodox church there is another Saint to protect people who are in love, but for Greeks Valentine's Day is more popular.
According to Jewish tradition the 15th day of the month of Av –
Tu B'Av (usually late August) is the festival of love. 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). In modern Israeli culture this is a popular day to pronounce love, propose marriage and give gifts like cards or flowers.
Latin America
The Heart of the
Milky Way, for Valentine's Day
In some Latin American countries Valentine's Day is known as "Día del Amor y la Amistad" (Day of Love and Friendship). For example
Mexico,
[53] Costa Rica,
[54] Ecuador,
[55] 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).
[56]
In Brazil, the
Dia dos Namorados (lit. "Lovers' Day", or "Boyfriends'/Girlfriends' Day") is celebrated on June 12, probably because it is the
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Valentine%27s_Day&action=edit§ion=16day before
Saint Anthony's day, known there as the
marriage saint,
[57] 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's Valentine's Day is not celebrated at all because it usually falls too little before or after the
Brazilian Carnival[58] — that can fall anywhere from early February to early March and lasts almost a week.
In
Venezuela, in 2009, President
Hugo Chávez said in a meeting to his supporters for the upcoming referendum vote on February 15, that "since on the 14th, there will be no time of doing nothing, nothing or next to nothing ... maybe a little kiss or something very superficial", he recommended people to celebrate a week of love after the referendum vote.
[59]
In most of Latin America the
Día del amor y la amistad and the
Amigo secreto ("Secret friend") are quite popular and usually celebrated together on the 14 of February (one exception is
Colombia, where it is celebrated every third Saturday of 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).
East Asia
Thanks to a concentrated marketing effort, Valentine's Day is celebrated in some Asian countries with
Singaporeans,
Chinese and
South Koreans spending the most money on Valentine's gifts.
[60]
In
South Korea, similar to Japan, 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 the 14th of Feb or March go to a Korean restaurant to eat black noodles (자장면
jajangmyeon) and "mourn" their single life.
[61] 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.
[62] Korean women give a much higher amount of chocolate than Japanese women.
[61]
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 (
simplified Chinese:
情人节;
traditional Chinese:
情人節;
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. Modern Valentine's Day is also celebrated on February 14 of the solar calendar each year.
In
Taiwan the situation is the reverse of Japan's. Men give gifts to women on Valentine's Day, and women return them on
White Day.
[61]
In
the Philippines, Valentine's Day is called "Araw ng mga Puso" or "Hearts Day". It is usually marked by a steep increase in the prices of 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.
[63][64]
The custom that only women give chocolates to men appears to have originated from the translation error of a chocolate-company executive during the initial campaigns.
[65][citation needed] In particular,
office ladies give chocolate to their co-workers. Unlike western countries, gifts such as greeting cards,
[65] candies,
flowers, or
dinner dates[61] are uncommon, and most of the activity about the gifts is about giving the right amount of chocolate to each person.
[65] Japanese chocolate companies make half their annual sales during this time of the year.
[65]
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 (義理チョコ), from
giri ("obligation") and
choko, ("chocolate"), with unpopular co-workers receiving only "ultra-obligatory"
chō-giri choko cheap chocolate. This contrasts with
honmei-choko (本命チョコ, favorite chocolate), chocolate given to a loved one. Friends, especially girls, may exchange chocolate referred to as
tomo-choko (友チョコ); from
tomo meaning "friend".
[66]
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.
[63][64]
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).
[63][64]
In Japan, the romantic "date night" associated to Valentine's Day is celebrated on
Christmas Eve.
[67]
In a 2006 survey of people between 10 and 49 years of age in Japan,
Oricon Style found the 1986
Sayuri Kokushō single,
Valentine Kiss, to be the most popular Valentine's Day song, even though it sold only 317,000 copies.
[68] 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.
[68]
Similar Asian traditions
In
Chinese culture, there is an older observance related to lovers, called "
The Night of Sevens" (
Chinese:
七夕;
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 Japan, a slightly different version of 七夕 called
Tanabata has been celebrated for centuries, on July 7 (
Gregorian calendar).
[69] It has been considered by Westerners as similar to St. Valentine's Day,
[70] but it's not related to it, and its origins are completely different.
India
In India, in the 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.
[71] This tradition was lost around the Middle Ages, when Kamadeva was no longer celebrated, and public displays of sexual affections became frowned upon.
[71] Around 1992, Valentine's Day celebrations started catching up in India, with special TV and radio programs, and even love letter competitions.
[71][72] The economic liberalization also helped the Valentine card industry.
[72]
In modern times, Hindu and Islamic
[73] traditionalists consider the holiday to be cultural contamination from the West, result of the globalization in India.
[71][72] 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".
[74] 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 (see
Housewife#India), etc.
[72][73]
Despite these obstacles, Valentine's Day is becoming increasingly popular in India.
[75]
However,
leftist and
liberal critiques of Valentine's Day remain strong 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.
[76] 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. 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.
[77][78]
Middle East
Egyptians celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14.
[citation needed][clarification needed]
In
Iran, the
Sepandarmazgan, or Esfandegan, is an age-old traditional celebration of love, friendship and Earth. It has nothing in common with the Saint Valentine celebration, except for a superficial similarity in giving affection and gifts to loved ones, and its origins and motivations are completely unrelated. 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.
[79]
In
Israel, the
Tu B'Av is considered to be the Jewish Valentine's Day following the ancient traditions of courtship on this day. Today, this is celebrated as a second holiday of love by secular people (besides Saint Valentine's Day), and shares many of the customs associated with Saint Valentine's Day in western societies.
Conflict with Islamic countries and political parties
Saudi Arabia
In
Saudi Arabia, in 2002 and 2011,
religious police banned the sale of all Valentine's Day items, telling shop workers to remove any red items, as the day is considered a Christian holiday.
[80][81] In 2008 this ban created a
black market of
roses and
wrapping paper.
[81]
Pakistan
The concept of Valentine's Day was introduced in 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.
[75] Despite this, the celebration is becoming popular among urban youth and the florists expect to sell great amount of flowers, especially red roses. Same is the case with card publishers.
[82] However, public at large still consider Valentine's Day as opposed to Pakistani culture and Islamic teachings.
[citation needed]
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.
[83][84]
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 a
fatwa (ruling) issued by the country's top clerics in 2005 noted the day 'is associated with elements of Christianity,' and 'we just cannot get involved with other religion's 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.
[85][86]
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.
[87]
