Perhaps the focus on crushing anti-regime protests scheduled for the same day had distracted the police from the more pleasant duty of arresting shopkeepers who put displays of hearts in their windows.
Or it may have been a conscious pre-election decision. News reports from several cities say the crackdown on non-compliance with the dress code was halted earlier this month so as not to offend potential voters. That may have been extended to the Valentine event as well.
Valentine’s Day was never an event that anyone noticed in the years before the revolution. But in the 1990s, it started to take off and has now become quite popular—seemingly more popular the more the regime tries to stop young Iranians from going for hearts and candy and cards.
It solely appeals to the country’s educated and affluent classes, and may even be the cause of some class frictions, as the working class often frowns on the Western airs of the wealthy.
Part of the reason could be the sheer number of young adults in the country, many of whom are unmarried. With bars, clubs and mixed parties all banned under the country’s strict laws, Valentine’s Day is increasingly seen as a courting opportunity — one whose commercial side is much appreciated by Iranian retailers.
Despite the crackdowns of the last few years, several shopkeepers in Tehran told Agence France Presse (AFP) that demand for rose bouquets, sentimental cards with the English word “love,” chocolate, perfume and even teddy bears was strong, adding to a growing trend of recent years.
The owner of one Italian restaurant, who asked not to be identified, said his establishment was booked up well in advance by couples.
Elmira, a 24-year-old architecture graduate in the capital who declined to give her last name, said most of those participating in the annual romantic ritual were young people from the middle and upper classes.
“The usual routine each year is an exchange of gifts and then going out for dinner,” she said.
Valentine’s Day “used to be huge for me,” she said, but now she was looking for something more meaningful. “Silly traditions do not really matter if there are no feelings involved.”
Last year, officials banned the production and sale of Valentine’s Day items. Conservatives insist there is no room for such immodest declarations in a devout Islamic culture.
They have become alarmed at the rapid decline in the number of marriages in recent years, blaming the trend on Western superficiality. Others blame the economy, which makes it harder for couples to set themselves in their own home.
Nationalistic Iranians prefer to celebrate their love on Mehregan, a pre-Islamic festival in October that honors Mithra, the ancient Persian goddess of love. Rebellious youth have taken up many other pre-Islamic traditions to show their disgust with the regime, but Mehregan has lost out to Valentine’s Day, which is based—very loosely—on early Christian traditions.
Saba, an 18-year-old graphics student in Mashhad, said that for her, the day was not at all about adopting a Christian tradition but rather because “I would love to receive gifts and chocolate.”
She added though that she thought it safer to attend a private party in a home than risk a restaurant or other public place that could attract unwanted attention from Iran’s morality police.
“Even though we would not be doing anything un-Islamic in restaurants or cafes, there are not many places in our city to hang out on Valentine’s Day and be safe,” she said.
Meysam, a home appliances store owner in his early 30s, said he had plans to take his girlfriend out—but for reasons that were not related to Valentine’s Day.
“I love to have fun, but I also need to do this to take my mind off the fact that business is just awful these days,” he said.
He said he did not know what the future holds for his small business because of the continuing decline of the rial, and added restrictions on importing goods.