PassionFile

No Place for Valentine's Day in Most Countries 

From Uzbekistan to other countries, Saint Valentine's doesn't belong. While this Saint with a questionable history may just be a foreign import for most other countries, it engenders angry claims of cultural or religious invasion in some like this former Soviet Republic, others see it as simply an opportunity for sharing your love with your wife or partner. So why does this innocuous holiday that is focused on relationships, love and romance illicit so much irritation and even hatred in some countries?

In the more conservative nations around the world, particularly in the Middle Eastern Muslim countries, this light holiday takes on a religious fervor that would be unwelcome and incomprehensible in North America and other countries of the West that enjoy the heart holiday. The Madrases (religious schools), Imams and mosques see any use of Valentine's Day images, symbols or gestures as heretical and inconsistent with Muslim culture. Essentially as an attempt by Western cultures to impose it's religious and cultural beliefs on it's own culture and religion.

Commercially Motivated Holiday? The East Isn't There Just Yet

While most people in the West recognize Valentine's Day for what it is, that is a commercially motivated opportunity to lavish your spouse, partner or other family member with gifts, dinners or other gestures ostensibly supporting feelings of love, romance and intimacy, some do get caught-up in the promotion and forget the message and history of what the holiday was originally for.

If we recognize where the holiday and it's symbols come from, we can understand why many cultures and countries find the celebration of Valentine's Day, if not offensive, then certainly not applicable to their own culture and religion. It's origins are based loosely from various Saints from Rome, relating to their demise after taking part in various outlawed marriage rituals and pagan festivals. Western culture had adopted some of the more romantic elements of these practices and most references to worldwide Valentine's Day celebrations focus on countries such as Canada, The United States, Australia, Britain (with Unique traditions in Wales and Scotland), France, Italy, Denmark, Spain (except for Catalonia) and South Africa. Some non-Judeo Christian countries like India, China and Japan and South Korea have also either adopted some of the fundamental tenets of Valentine's Day, or have developed their own celebration of relationships and romance. This is also true for Central and South American countries, where some celebrate it as a Secret Santa type celebration and other countries don't celebrate the holiday at all, such as in Brazil, where the February 14^th date falls to close to Carnivale which is far more important to this nation of over 110 million people.

The United States Is Still Reigning Champion of Valentine's Day Excess

Despite making inroads into many Western countries including Greece, most other countries, such as totalitarian states like Iran, have even banned any celebration which is identified with anything from the West, especially the United States. Most sites and research suggest that what is spent in the United States is far more than the entire expenditures around the world. Some countries like Lebanon are shuttered on February 14 in consideration of the assassination of Mr. Hariri, their former Prime Minister. So who does Valentine's Day better? That's a matter of perspective and the rest of the world has some catching-up to do, with romance and with gifting.