| Religious fanatics burn cards with hearts on Valentine's Day Valentine's Day has finally taken root in Russia. Experts from the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion came to this conclusion. According to the results of the latest survey published yesterday by sociologists from VTsIOM, more than half of Russians consider Valentine's Day their holiday. Naturally, the largest share (75%) of those who call February 14 a holiday is among young people under 20 years of age, who more actively absorb Western fashion than others and respond to massive advertising support for the Catholic saint who lived in the 4th century and secretly married soldiers of the army of the Roman Emperor Claudius the Cruel and executed for this February 14, 270. According to legend, the future saint signed his last message to his beloved with one phrase - “From your Valentine.” Since then, these words have become the constant companions of all Valentine's Day cards.
Valentine was canonized in 496 by decree of Pope Gelasius. Now his relics are kept in the French city of Roquemore on the right bank of the Rhone, where every year a solemn ceremony is held to expose the remains of the patron of lovers to public display. However, this purely church ceremony cannot be compared with the scale of Valentine's Day celebrations throughout the planet. Even in those states where this holiday is prohibited by law - in particular, in Saudi Arabia, where compliance with this ban is vigilantly monitored by special religious police - people manage to exchange “Valentines”. And, for example, in India, followers of the Catholic saint even have to confront local fundamentalists - representatives of radical Hindu organizations annually on February 14 organize pogroms in souvenir shops and cafes decorated with red hearts. Yesterday in Delhi there were also incidents. More than 50 representatives of the radical group Shiv Sena burned Valentine's Day cards and posters with images of loving couples in the center of the Indian capital. According to the leader of the organization, Jaya Bhagwan Goyal, “this holiday goes against Hindu traditions and corrupts the youth.”
However, religious radicals are unlikely to be able to eradicate this holiday, because they are opposed by a real transnational industry for servicing the memory of St. Valentine. Valentine's Day in its current form is a fairly profitable business for manufacturers and sellers of “love paraphernalia.” Around the tenth of February, lovers sweep everything off the shelves: postcards, plush hearts and teddy bears, ceramic doves, chocolates in “heart” boxes, flowers. Restaurants and travel agencies make good money on this holiday, offering special dishes and tours for lovers.
Meanwhile, debates about whether the widely celebrated Valentine's Day and the holiday of love in general for human health and psyche are beneficial or not continue. For example, cardiologists, and in particular a professor from the University of Michigan Melvin Rubenfire, believe that this holiday and everything that accompanies it has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. Psychologists, on the contrary, believe that Valentine's Day can cause serious mental disorders in people who have problems in their personal lives. Those who are lonely that day experience a depressed state of mind, depression, many of them even think about suicide, doctors say. To support their version, opponents of the worldwide celebration of St. Valentine cite recent events in the United States, where 26-year-old Oregon resident Gerald Crane persuaded more than 30 single women to take part in mass suicide. This act of suicide was planned for February 14, 2005. However, a tragic incident was averted after one of the potential suicides turned to the police because Crane suggested that she kill not only herself, but also her children. Crane is currently in custody. Hearings in his case began yesterday. According to NBC television, US authorities are now searching for possible victims of “emotional manipulation.” So far, only four participants in the suicide pact have been found: three of them are American, the fourth is a Canadian citizen. Anna ShPAK |
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