Valentine's Day: Stories of Some Interfaith Couples in Ontario

L-R: Sahar (Muslim) + Alvaro (Catholic)

Today is the Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air all over.

On this day, it would be both interesting and enlightening to see that there are an increasing number of couples engaging in interfaith relationships.

Colin Boyd Shafer, a teacher-cum-documentary photographer, in his website, called Interlove explores ‘how people with differing beliefs come together in love.”

This website in next few months will profile 100 couples across Ontario with their individual stories. A number of stories, already published, are a fascinating read. These tell who they are, and how and why they fell for each other. 

L-R: Amanda (Atheist having New Darwinism spectrum) + Craig (Afrocentric Spirituality)

Photos courtesy: interlove.com/

Some of the couples mentioned there, in black-and-white photos and texts, come from following religious backgrounds: Jewish + Catholic, Muslim + Catholic, liberal and non-traditional Muslim + Greek Orthodox, Catholic + Agnostic, Jew-tile (Jew and gentile) + humanistic Jew, Atheist but culturally Jew + Aboriginal Anishnawbe Spiritality, and Catholic + Hindu.

You may visit the website, Interlove, to see the photos of these mixed faith couples and read their stories in detail.

More couples of interfaith backgrounds in Ontario can also visit this website and provide their details for inclusion in it.

Those who are photophiles (lovers of photographs) and want to see more photo projects of this same photographer, may visit his other website, called Colin Boyd Shafer.

Bangladeshi Teenage Couple Observes Valentine's Day Suicidally

It was February 14, the Valentine’s Day. This is the day to celebrate the love of a couple – married or unmarried. This year, the Valentine’s Day, however, became a Double-D Day (Double-Death Day) for two Bangladeshi teenagers deeply in love.

Soud Sheikh (17) and Mitu Mollah (16) were from two neighbouring villages in Gopalganj Distirct, Bangladesh. Their love, initially secret, grew in intensity and ultimately became public. Parents of the girl, Mitu, became furious and, two months ago, took her to a town 200 kilometres (120 miles) away and forced her into marriage with a man twice her age.

Soud Sheikh was a student in Dhaka city. He returned to his village on February 13 to meet his loved one who had returned to her parents’ house for a few days. On February 14, they climbed a cell-phone tower, tied their hands with a scarf, and made a jump together. Their severely injured bodies were found at the foot of the tower and they died on the way to the local clinic.

Soud had called his brother earlier saying that he and Mitu would commit suicide on the Valentine’s Day so that they might be together in future life.

The local police suspect that these two teenagers must have used their cell-phones to decide on their suicide pact, reports AFP.

Bangladesh, in general, has a conservative attitude towards free mixing and free love between a male and a female. Usually the parents or guardians decide on the arranged marriages. Every year, a remarkable number of lovers commit suicide when their love faces hard challenge and rejection from parents or guardians.

Bangla (Bengali) Calligraphy: LOVE IS SO SWEET...

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This calligraphy says in Bengali: "Love is so sweet..."
-- a Tagore song sung in the 
Catholic Church liturgies in Bangladesh

Calligraphy (Dhaka: Feb. 15, 1994) © Jerome D'Costa

Today Is the Valentine's Day

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The Valentine's Day = offering of one's heart to the dear one
Design (Toronto: Feb. 13, 2011) © Joachim Romeo D'Costa

Today is the Valentine's Day. We specially remember our dear ones today. This is a time when love pervades all over. An air of love wafts from our hearts!

The Valentine's Day has an interesting background that many of us are not aware of.

Happy Valentine's Day to All!

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Valentine's Day Image
Graphics (Toronto: February 13, 2010) © Joachim Romeo D'Costa

Most of the world observes today as the Valentine's Day as an expression of their love for near and dear ones.

This day first started in Europe and it has an interesting background influenced by the Roman Catholic Church.

Wish you all a happy Valentine's Day!

February 14: The Valentine's Day

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A Valentine's Day image

Graphic Design © Joachim Romeo D'Costa

In the western world, the Valentine's Day (also called Saint Valentine's Day) is a long-standing social tradition. Gradually with the spread of western-type of education, foreign travels, education in western countries, and migrant work, this traditional day is also observed in other parts of the world, including Bangladesh.

On this day lovers demonstrate their love for each other by exchanging Valentine's cards, flowers, sweets including chocolates, and other gifts. Lovers also go to dinners and participate in different entertainments. A red-coloured heart, dove and winged Cupid are the symbols used for the love expressed on the Valentine's day. In English, the word "valentine" came to have two meanings: a person singled out as one's sweetheart on the Valentine's Day, and a greeting card exchanged on this day.

Origin of the Valentine's Day

There are several legends regarding the origin of this day.

According to one legend, Valentinus (in English, Valentine) was a priest in the third century Rome. Emperor Claudius II (214 - 270 AD), thinking that unmarried young men would make better soldiers, forbade married men with wives and children to serve in his army. Valentinus saw injustice in this decree and defied the emperor by secretly performing marriages of young soldiers. When the emperor came to know of this, he ordered him to be killed. The Church then declared him a saint. Later the Valentine's Day came to be observed on February 14, the day of his death.

Another legend has it that, in ancient times, for 800 years, Romans observed the celebration of Lupercalia on February 15. This feast day honoured Lupercus, the god of agriculture and shepherds. On this day young women would leave their names in an earthen pot and young men would draw the names and pair with the girls accordingly and be their sexual companions for the year. Pope Gelasius I was not happy about the pagan sexual emphasis of the festival. He wanted to "christianize" the feast day by transferring it to February 14, the day St. Valentine (in Latin, St. Valentinus) died. The day continued to be an occasion to seek the affections of young women and a tradition of exchanging handwritten messages of admiration grew out.

Whatever the background of this day, young people enthusiastically observe it with vigour and enthusiasm and express their love for their valentines.

Tell us how you observed the Valentine's Day this year.