Back in high school, in the middle of February I used to stop a moment and ponder every time I read the weekly Hizbuth Tahrir bulletin during Friday sermon.



In that small bulletin of only four pages, the hard-line Muslim group dedicated a whole page to delving into the historical-religious background of Valentine's Day that it said promoted Christian-influenced moral bankruptcy.



The group is not alone. Even today, among Muslim media outlets, especially on the Internet, a similar public awareness campaign has been rife against Valentine's Day as a Western Christian legacy that Muslim should not celebrate.



It may seem peculiar that such religious background would still matter in today's celebration of Valentine's Day ' undoubtedly, it is hard to imagine people celebrating Valentine's by attending a Mass in church.



Islamists' concerns about Valentine's Day religious background though, may shed light on our general interest in the celebration. Whether secular or religious in nature, mankind has always been keen on celebrations and festivities. We have Idul Fitri, Isra Mi'raj, Christmas, Independence Day and Labor Day to celebrate.



The question is, why do we have celebrations?



Anthropologist Mircea Eliade (2005) once introduced the concept of archetypes. An archetype, according to Eliade, is the 'most ideal condition' of something that mankind regards as important. The story of Adam and Eve, for example, is an archetype of the life of men, which is naturally graceful in heaven.



Abraham's sacrifice of his son is an archetype of sacrifice and devotion. The heroic struggle for Indonesian independence, too, is an archetype of nationalism.



An archetype is the exemplary model of something we idealize. According to Eliade, celebrations intend to bring back archetypes. Celebrations attempt to invoke memories ' to replicate the moment ' of something that they celebrate. It is a way to realize what we call 'history repeating itself'.



The way we remember the Prophet Muhammad's struggle during Isra Mi'raj, or the way we try to rekindle Jesus' blessing and compassion during Christmas, or the heroic spirit we feel when competing in games to mark Independence Day ' those are all attempts to bring back the idealized values in archetypes.



Celebrations, then, attempt to invoke a distant memory; a memory we never experience but continuously imagine through countless retold stories. It is a memory of an ideal form in a past life.



At this point, this is precisely why Valentine's Day's religious roots become a concern for some Islamists. For them, celebrating Valentine's Day is practically observing a Christian religious festival or at least an attempt to bring back Christian values. That's why it is outright forbidden, as it is regarded as a breach of conviction to Islam.



Of course, many of us view Valentine's Day as a mere cultural festival: a chance to dedicate special time to loved ones. People who actually celebrate Valentine's Day would rather spend a dime on a romantic dinner with their dearest than commemorate a saint whose life and memories are too distant to be felt today.



Centuries ago in Europe, Saint Valentine evoked a memory of sacrifice and loyalty, but today the name simply is identified with gifts and chocolate.



This different attitude toward Valentine's Day, though it seems trivial, underlines what seems to be forgotten: no matter how religious or secular its values, celebration is a cultural practice.



The way people celebrate one same event varies widely depending on time and place.



What is practiced during Valentine's Day in the West may not necessarily happen here in Indonesia. We as an autonomous actor have the full consciousness to adapt foreign cultural practices to our local context.



As with many issues concerning celebrations, however, the opposition to celebrating Valentine's Day is also met with counter-opposition, particularly in social media. Some might regard forbidding Valentine's Day celebrations as a holier-than-thou act ' or, worse, such a deed may sometimes be labeled with the pejorative term 'bigoted'.



Regarding this matter, it might be useful to recall what the political philosopher John Rawls once said concerning a tolerant society.



According to him, the basic idea of liberalism, which founded a tolerant society, is that there should be no need for any ideas or arguments to be faced with hostility.



Instead, a tolerant society should give the chance for those ideas to compete in a 'marketplace of ideas' (in Walzer, 1997).



Opposition to Valentine's Day celebrations, then, should not be addressed with disgruntled, hostile reactions ' let alone pejorative labeling. As much room should be given to such a specific instance of religiosity as is given to the freedom to celebrate cultural festivities such as Valentine's Day.



After all, if we celebrate Valentine's Day as a day of affection, isn't the most compassionate affection that which we give to those who are different to us?

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The writer is a member of Young Interfaith Peacemaker Community Indonesia (YIPCI).