Another high-traffic day has been marked in our calendars: 25 Bahman or 14 February, for VALENTINE Day, the day of lovers and the day Iranian satellite stations and websites have a feast, to the point that young citizens of this city think that one of the ways to go global is to join the bandwagon of events marked by the almighty West. Not long ago, small Christmas trees could only be bought in Armenian neighborhoods. Now, starting in late December, many flower shops carry real pine trees and gift shops synthetic, because many of our citizens, Muslim or nor, celebrate Christmas. In late October, you can even find families in Tehran who hollow out a pumpkin for Halloween, placing lit candles in the middle of it.
As such, if you see a bustle of chocolate, furry bears, and cards behind the window of some shops, and if the price of a stem of rose suddenly jumps up, you can be sure that Valentine is around the corner. This is when many don't even know why this day is celebrated in the West and what stands at its origin. A fever to be in step with the progressive world must also be behind the appeal of Valentine (other than its reference to passion and romance) in post-revolutionary Tehran. Young people gather in coffee shops and exchange gifts, without even being intimately involved. Another words, the meaning of Valentine has been appropriated and for some citizens it has come to signify the day of amity and kindness.
A few years ago, the Islamic Propaganda Organization picked a day near Valentine to mark the wedding of Imam Ali and the Prophet's daughter, Fatemeh, as Day of Love and set up celebrations in culture centers around town to counter the import of Valentine. As mentioned in {Shadi Vatanparast}'s article ("A Valentine Gift") in these pages, some people who want to make the celebrations native, have claimed that the day had precedence in ancient Iran.
But the sky of Valentine is not all that pink and showery for many citizens of this city. The atmosphere of love doesn't apply with them. These include people like {Golnush Mo'ini} and {Marjan Shoja'i}, first-year students of Al-Zahra and Tehran universities, who have decided to mark Valentine. They are looking at Valentine critically. They prepared bouquets of red and pink rose wrapped in pink paper with silver dots and red hearts. However, in the background of these wrapping papers, one can detect words printed in English and Persian that list the price of MEAT, whether of sheep, cow, or chicken… and, the price of selling your body on the streets of Tehran. These two went to a busy shopping center whose merchandize and customers are privy to Valentine.
"Gentleman, Lady, Happy Valentine. Can you buy a bouquet?" "Gentleman, Lady, Flowers for Valentine. For those you love."
The flowers all sold out. Soon, the buyers would discover what the message on those wrapping papers were, in the safety of their houses or behind restaurant tables -- love, debauchery and consumption. Some purchased out of compassion, mostly middle-aged women, who wanted to help these innocence young flower girls. These are women who upon seeing women of the night would curse them for polluting the streets of this city, not knowing that only chance has put these at home, next to their hearth and husbands, and those treading the streets without knowing what awaits them in an unfamiliar environment.
The flower girls were coaxed, too, by those men who wanted to slack their thirst with the need for bread of women, the very same men who see all the women in this city as prostitutes, unless it is proven otherwise, those who call all women "meat," as is known in the male speak, a commodity that needs to be munched and swallowed. The flower girls answered simply, "We have no one to buy these flowers for." These men know the difference between their Platonic and Epicurean -- they pay for their Epicurean, or, at least, they won't waste words on it. Their platonic is a revisiting of their mother, somewhere near the kitchen or the bed. For them, a bunch of celery is more appropriate.
Golnush and Marjan highlight some words in their wrapping paper in bold or capital letters, a cacophony of lustful words referring to body parts, sickness, or money. A murmur of city sounds. The price of virginity of girls between 5 and 20 is equivalent to 3-4 kilograms of choice meat. Of boys, equivalent to 2 kilos of chicken. In their simple street performance, they are revealing the lies of love on the streets, in days other than in Valentine.
They have decide not to remain indifferent to what happens in this city and they target themes that define the city and its spaces.
