Bah,humbug to Valentines day!!

For all of you who think I am Islamically judgmental about majority of the things I see around me (and I'm sure reading the title of this blog entry would make you think so yet again!), then let me tell you..I'm not propagating an Islamic arguement about Valentine's day here. For a change, I'm just going to enlighten you all on some really interesting facts about why, it might be funny for you to be celebrating the 14th of February as the so-called "UNIVERSAL LOVERS DAY"

If at all, it should actually be Friendship day. Let me narrate what I read in very brief:

If you roll back in history, St. Valentine was actually a priest (which means he never had intentions to marry). He was in the time of this ruler Claudius who wanted to encourage men to go fight in war, but they wouldn't because they had wives and children to take care of and were emotionally attached to them. So, he banned marriages at that point, so that men would not be entitled to stay back from war.

St. Valentine at that time used to get Marriage vows done secretly for those who wanted to get married; on getting caught he was imprisoned and sentenced to death. During his time in jail, he made friends with the jailor's daughter who used to visit him often. Hence, before he was put to death on the 14th of February some million years back, he wrote a last letter of friendship with compassion for her signing it saying 'From your Valentine'

So, you see.. quite amazing, that people celebrate this so-called friendship for Lover's day. It further makes me wonder, why didn't historians mark the death of Romeo and Juliet as the Universal day of celebration for Lovers?

By all means, I am not encouraging of the whole event in the first place; but for those who very religiously celebrate Valentine's day and find no harm can continue to do so. Islamically, there is no issue with it. Infact, as part pf my research I spent hours looking for the reference or authenticity for this one specific chain mail i recall which discouraged the celebration of Valentines' day as it was infact the same day when Muslims of Spain were conquered by the Non-believers. Well, I can't tell you how much i google-d, such that even google must be tired of me googling search words and sites of '14th feb', 'valentines day', 'Invasion on Muslims on 14th feb', 'Muslim spain' etcccc!!!! And I didn't even leave out Islamic sites, somehow I didn't find any authentic or identical sourcing to that email.

Obviously, some poor chap must be trying really hard to convince Muslims to not celebrate this event - so he innovated a story (unless someone can find the actual reference from history and comment back, there would be nothing more lovely!) I would like to conclude that Islamically, this day poses no threat to Muslims in History.

However, there are some funny concepts to Valentine's day that I have observed and analysed below:

(1) Excessive use of color red in all valentine gifts, wraps, bags, dressing, etc. The psychological impact of the color red from one of the websites i searched was as follows: Most colors carry both positive and negative implications. The downside of red evokes aggressive feelings, suggesting anger or violence. (hmm, the use of red on Valentine's day might just have the opposite effect of what consumers are really trying to gain!!)

(2) There used to be a time when one would wish Valentine's day to his valentine alone, to make that person feel the most special. Nowadays, on valentines, every other person is wishing each other valentine's day...like a meaningless ritual - purposeless or what??

(3) I noticed that 80% of the people who were so enthusiastic in wishing Valentine's had no clue about who St. Valentine was and the rest 20% who knew, didn't know that Valentine's day has nothing to do with a victorious love story (haha..that's amusing)

(4) Excessive use of Hearts in practically all gift items, shopping stores, grafitti, advertisements, posters, etc... GOD! I won't be surprised if in the next 5yrs' time, they would have cars that would be shaped somewhat in the mould of a RED HEART - and captioning it as 'The perfect ride for your Sweetheart, on this valentines day, let her drive a Polo..the Heart with a hole!' (I could actually sell that copy for a million to Volksvagon if and when they make customized Valentines' day version of the Polo - LOL)

The heart -shaped gifts also remind me of those numerous pendants and 'heart'-shaped jewelry adverts in the papers and billboards, that we are being bombarded with from the beginning of every February. Somehow, they spend millions on those adverts and also conveniently write out their prices - so that the next time I see someone wearing the Damas Valentine's pendant, I know her hubby or boyfriend gave it to her and it cost him 800dhs; or oh wait! that's the Pure Gold valentines' pendant isn't it (and my devious mind says, oh, 700dhs for that?! It looked better in the advert!) haha.. okay, so.......those adverts wouldnt work for me.

Oh, for all of you who don't know, I was an Advertising major back in college, so my eyes are extra-alert to critique or grasp anything new and useful in adverts around (sort of explains my quick witted copy for the Valentine's version of the Polo?! Okay so it wasn't very good copy when u read it after 5more times, cuz it doesnt really make sense..hehe..but good for an instant one eh?)

Anyhows, I have so much more to say here, but it's always like this isn't it? For all those of you who think to be religious makes us quite aggressive towards western concepts - let me correct you. Even Imam Ali (AS) has said 'Don't look at who is talking, see what he's talking about' thus implying that where there is logic and something good for us, pick it up - regardless of where its coming from a Muslim or Non-Muslim, someone older to you or younger to you, etc.

Here, I've just tried to put together some facts for all of us to think - fine, Valentine's day is Universal lovers day. Who commissioned it and why?!!! Ever tried questioning that?

Why can't everday be a day to celebrate the love of your loved ones? and why do people have to limit it to one day of the year? and that too over someone who died and left back no moral story to gain from..

Food for thought? Comments area on this page open for you to share your views..