Sempena Hari Valentine yang akan menjelang, aku nak ulas la serba sedikit mengenai ke-releven-an sambutan hari tersebut sebagai seorang muslim. Ini adalah ulasan peribadi dan memerlukan tindakan dan pertimbangan yang sewajarnyer dari pihak pembaca.

Sebelum itu, suka lah aku untuk memetik beberapa artikel untuk tatapan bersama. 2 artikel yg pertama ni adalah mengenai asal usul Hari Valentine.

Valentine’s Day History

There are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine’s Day. Some experts state that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14, 269 A.D., the same day that had been devoted to love lotteries. Legend also says that St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer’s daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it “From Your Valentine”. Other aspects of the story say that Saint Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had Valentine jailed for defying him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honour St. Valentine. Gradually, February 14 became the date for exchanging love messages and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. The date was marked by sending poems and simple gifts such as flowers. There was often a social gathering or a ball.

In the United States, Miss Esther Howland is given credit for sending the first valentine cards. Commercial valentines were introduced in the 1800’s and now the date is very commercialised. The town of Loveland, Colorado, does a large post office business around February 14. The spirit of good continues as valentines are sent out with sentimental verses and children exchange valentine cards at school.
http://www.pictureframes.co.uk/pages/saint_valentine.htm

History

Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. Until 1969, the Catholic Church formally recognized eleven Valentine’s Days. The Valentines honored on February 14 are:

• Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae): a priest in Rome who suffered martyrdom about AD 269 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. His relics are at the Church of Saint Praxed in Rome.^[1] and at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland.

• Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae): He became bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) about AD 197 and is said to have been killed during the persecution of Emperor Aurelian. He is also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location than Valentine of Rome. His relics are at the Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni (Basilica di San Valentino).

The Catholic Encyclopedia also speaks of a third saint named Valentine who was mentioned in early martyrologies under date of 14 February. He was martyred in Africa with a number of companions, but nothing more is known about him.

Some sources say the Valentine linked to romance is Valentine of Rome, others say Valentine of Terni. Some scholars (such as the Bollandists) have concluded that the two were originally the same person. In any case, no romantic elements are present in the original Early Medieval biographies of either of these martyrs.

An overview of attested traditions relevant to the holiday is presented below, with the legends about Valentine himself discussed in the end.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine’s_Day

2 artikel yang berikut pula mengenai asal usul Hari Ibu.

Mother’s Day History

The history of Mother’s Day is centuries old and goes back to the times of ancient Greeks, who held festivities to honor Rhea, the mother of the gods. The early Christians celebrated the Mother’s festival on the fourth Sunday of Lent to honor Mary, the mother of Christ. Interestingly, later on a religious order stretched the holiday to include all mothers, and named it as the Mothering Sunday. The English colonists settled in America discontinued the tradition of Mothering Sunday because of lack of time. In 1872 Julia Ward Howe organized a day for mothers dedicated to peace. It is a landmark in the history of Mother’s Day.

In 1907, Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948), a Philadelphia schoolteacher, began a movement to set up a national Mother’s Day in honor of her mother, Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis. She solicited the help of hundreds of legislators and prominent businessmen to create a special day to honor mothers. The first Mother’s Day observance was a church service honoring Anna’s mother. Anna handed out her mother’s favorite flowers, the white incarnations, on the occasion as they represent sweetness, purity, and patience. Anna’s hard work finally paid off in the year 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as a national holiday in honor of mothers.

Slowly and gradually the Mother’s day became very popular and gift giving activity increased. All this commercialization of the Mother’s day infuriated Anna as she believed that the day’s sentiment was being sacrificed at the expense of greed and profit.

Regardless of Jarvis’s worries, Mother’s Day has flourished in the United States. Actually, the second Sunday of May has become the most popular day of the year. Although Anna may not be with us but the Mother’s day lives on and has spread to various countries of the world. Many countries throughout the world celebrate Mother’s Day at various times during the year, but some such as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and Belgium also celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday ofMay.
http://www.dayformothers.com/mothers-day-history/index.html

History

Different countries celebrate Mother’s Day on various days of the year because the day has a number of different origins. One school of thought claims this day emerged from a custom of mother worship in ancient Greece, which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother of Greek gods. This festival was held around the Vernal Equinox around Asia Minor and eventually in Rome itself from the Ides of March (15 March) to 18 March. The ancient Romans also had another holiday, Matronalia, that was dedicated to Juno, though mothers were usually given gifts on this day. In some countries the Mother’s Day began not as a celebration for individual mothers but rather for Christians.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother’s_Day

Tujuan utama aku utarakan perkara ni adalah untuk menimbulkan kesadaran pembaca semua untuk membezakan adat dan ibadat.

Apa yang selalu orang akan perkatakan mengenai sambutan Hari Valentine?

“Yang ko sambut tu budaya orang kafir..”

Hurrmmm… kalau budaya orang kafir, mcm mana pula sambutan hari2 yang lain. Hari Ibu? Hari Kanak2? Hari Kanser? Tu semua cetusan idea non-muslim. Tapi kenapa tidak timbul isu tentang hari2 tersebut?

” Kalau nak tunjuk kan kasih sayang bukan pada 1 hari sajer, sepatutnye setiap hari..”

Adoiii… penat la aku mcm ni… Kite juger perlu tunjukkan kasih sayang pada emak kiter setiap hari, bukan pada hari ibu sahaja.. Betul tak, amacam? Got my point?

Straight to the point je la.. sbenarnyer CARA sambutan tu yang perlu dipertikaikan.. Tiada apa apa masalah dengan sambutan Hari Valentine, tetapi cara sambutan yang perlu diteliti.. Sambutan Hari Ibu sekalipun, jika telah dihidang dengan maksiat tetap akan menjadi haram.

Masyarakat kita ni memang bab memburukkan sesuatu memang handal. Sama jugak macam kes Gong Xi Raya (Gong Xi Fatt Choi + Raya Aidilfitri) dulu, bising2 pasal Islam kater tak bole beri support pada perayaan agama lain. Kutuk kerajaan. Kutuk media.. Tapi setelah diselidik, Gong Xi Fatt Choi tu adalah perayaan bangsa, bukan agama. Jadi tiada masalah. Amacam?

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