Tehran -
"After coordinating with her mother, I loved surprising my beloved Mary by revealing the engagement ring in front of her on Valentine's Day and in the same café where we first met 3 years ago," this is how Engineer Ali planned to celebrate Valentine's Day in his own way, north of the capital, Tehran.
Under the dim light, in one of the high-end cafes in the Dazasheb neighborhood, north of Tehran, as soon as Dr. Maryam put her handbag on the beloved table on her heart, waiting for Ali to arrive, until she felt a suspicious movement happening around her, "What happiness flooded my heart," this is how she spoke to Al Jazeera Net about her feeling at that moment.
She added, "What aroused my curiosity is that such cafés are supposed to be full of young lovers who exchange gifts during these hours of Valentine's Day, but I found half the hall empty this evening until Ali and his parents entered and asked for my hand in the presence of my mother, who came without my knowledge."
While shopping on Valentine's Day (Getty Images)
love and marriage
As for Ali, he said that after two years of celebrating the occasion away from cafes due to the Corona pandemic, "I loved that my dream of officially asking for Mary's hand came true in the place where I met her 3 years ago, on lovers' day."
For his part, Uncle Fairouz, the owner of the cafe, confirmed that with the evening of February 14 of each year, young people rush to celebrate “Valentine’s Day” away from parents, especially in religious families, considering the phenomenon is Western and alien to Iranian culture, but it has gained popularity in The same time during the last two decades, especially among academics and the aristocracy.
He added, "We are keen here to provide a safe environment for young people to spend fun times on Valentine's Day, away from everything that would spoil the occasion," denying that the police forces had entered the café during the past years to arrest those celebrating the occasion.
A shop decorated on Valentine's Day in central Tehran (Getty Images)
Legal judgment
In light of the harassment practiced by the police over the past years against the celebrants, considering the occasion as a Western phenomenon and it is not permissible to celebrate it, the Shabestan News Agency, which specializes in religious and cultural issues, submitted a question about the legal ruling on celebrating “Valentine’s Day” to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who issued a fatwa that “ It is not permissible if it involves immorality or the promotion of false Western culture.”
Despite the reports that have been published during the past years about the authorities’ clampdown on celebrants under the pretext that it threatens Iranian and Islamic culture, in recent years they have become lenient with the celebrations of the occasion after it was very popular in major cities.
A street in the center of the Iranian capital on Valentine's Day (Getty Images)
divergent opinions
A large segment of the religious believes that it is better for Iranian families to raise their children to celebrate Islamic holidays instead of Western ones, while another group believes that they were celebrating the occasion of "Valentine's Day" (Spendarmadghan) even before Christmas, and the old heritage must be preserved as an alternative to the occasion Valentine.
"Spandarmagan" dates back to the Achaemenid era (550-330 BC) and falls on February 24, when some parties are trying to promote it as an ancient part of the traditions and identity of ancient Iran.
Scholar Sanaz Ebrahimi regrets Iranians' lack of interest in "Spandarmagan" and their celebration of Western "Valentine's Day" (Getty Images)
For her part, the researcher in social affairs, Sanaz Ebrahimi, said that the Iranian people have been celebrating the occasion of "Spandarmaghan" since before the birth of Christ, in order to honor women and the earth, until this day turned into a symbol of love that families celebrate to prove love between spouses.
And she added - in her speech to Al Jazeera Net - that the Iranian found in "Spendarmadghan" an occasion to honor a woman, whether she was a mother, sister, daughter or wife, "until she reached us and was dedicated to Valentine's Day during the past few years."
While shopping on Valentine's Day (Getty Images)
Love and Spendermaggan
Ebrahimi expressed her regret for the Iranians' lack of interest in the occasion of "Spandarmoggan" and their celebration of Western Valentine's Day, she said, explaining that the date of Valentine's Day will not exceed 3 centuries BC, while the history of "Spandarmoggan" dates back to more than 20 centuries BC.
She said: We have called on the Ministry of Culture and Guidance for years to work on defining ancient national occasions and explaining them to the young generation to curb the phenomenon of blind imitation of Western culture.
A cafe in the center of the Iranian capital (Getty Images)
She concluded that some of those who celebrate “Valentine’s Day” these days do not know the reality of this day, she said, stressing that the “Love” day is an occasion for the couple to celebrate and show each other affection and gratitude to the other party, in addition to being an occasion for kinship ties according to Islamic culture and family reunification. Putting hatred, grudges and envy aside.
A week before the date of Valentine's Day, markets and stores in many neighborhoods of Tehran, especially the central and northern regions, offer gifts, primarily bears, roses, and greeting cards, while sellers of red roses roam between cars in public streets and at major intersections.