Globalization of Valentines Day

Khaleej Times - "An overwhelming 62 per cent of the Arabs referred to themselves as ‘romantic people’. And 56 per cent claimed they had never celebrated Valentine’s Day before. But a whopping 69 per cent said they planned to do something special this year for their loved ones. ... The results of the survey indicated that among the respondents, Moroccans, Lebanese and Egyptians were most likely to celebrate the Valentine’s Day. Citizens of the six GCC countries were the least effusive."

Gulf News: "Among the specialists gearing up for the second busiest time of the year, after Christmas, is Gulf Greetings. With more than 50 outlets all over the region, the company is expecting to shift around 150,000 cards this Valentine's Day. And the man managing Gulf Greetings' Hallmark category is none other than the aptly named Valentine Braganza. The 38-year-old, originally from India...."

Read Gulf News on the history of St. Valentines Day.

One American's naive astonishment at the popularity of Valentines Day in Dubai.

The world, though, is not yet flat. The transmission of culture in going one way - absorption of Western (Christian) holidays in the Islamic world. We see Middle Eastern food becoming popular in Europe and North America, but we don't have potent examples like the popularity of Christmas and Valentines.