What is Valentine Day?

Image from Nancib

Today, many younger people will remember that Valentine's Day falls on 14th December each year. But, do they know why they insist to celebrate Valentine's Day instead of their New Year or Festive seasons!

Is it a trend or it's contagious because of those tempting advertising or products displayed at shopping malls or advertisement. What I knew was it's a lovers day, (hari kekasih in Malaysia language). Is is correct that it's only for lovers? But, why on this day?

The findings:-

1. Wikipedia says:

Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the West, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. The day was originally a pagan festival that was renamed after two Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines". Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.^[1] The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century Great Britain, and, in 1847, Esther Howland developed a successful business in her Worcester, Massachusetts home with hand-made Valentine cards based on British models. The popularity of Valentine cards in 19th-century America was a harbinger of the future commercialization of holidays in the United States.^[2]

The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend on average twice as much money as women.^[3]

Extracted from "

2. Local news paper Berita Harian : Muslims discouraged to celebrate Valentine's Day

Sambutan 14 Februari sebenarnya banyak berkaitan amalan ritual penganut Kristian

TIBANYA 14 Februari tidak lengkap tanpa peringatan supaya umat Islam tidak menyambut Hari Kekasih atau Valentine's Day yang sudah menjadi sebahagian budaya masyarakat khususnya generasi muda sekarang.

Ada berpendapat usah dibangkitkan isu itu kerana hanya akan menjadi pencetus kepada amalan bercanggah dengan syariat Islam. Namun, ada baiknya dibincangkan perkara ini sebagai peringatan kepada mereka yang sudah memasang niat untuk meraikannya.


Article from Berita Harian

3. How the World Celebrates Valentine's Day