Youth mark Valentine’s Day in Kabul

While Valentine’s Day is not traditionally celebrated among most Afghans, the younger generation in major cities across the country have been bucking tradition over the past few years and now join in the fun by sending messages, flowers, and gifts to loved ones.

Leeda, one Kabul resident, was one example. She visited a local florist on Sunday, February 14, where she bought a red rose and a gift for her fiancé.

She said: “I have bought a gift for my fiancé Masih Jan and we have been engaged for one year.”

Tabasum, another young Afghan woman who celebrated Valentine’s Day said: “It is a perfect day and I am here with my friends to celebrate this day, even though the security situation is not good.”

But many believe that Valentine’s Day is not just for that special person one is in love with but that it is also for all those whom one loves.

Feroz, with a flower in hand, said: “I love my mother. This flower is for her.”

The fully stocked flower shops and street vendors in Kabul were testimony to this on Sunday – and many shops and stalls were not only adorned with flowers and roses but also with teddy bears, other soft toys, and helium-filled heart-shaped balloons – with “Love” and “I Love You” emblazoned across them.

“A lot of people get roses or bears for their beloved ones on this day,” a flower seller said.

However, the vast majority of Afghans do not know about Valentine’s Day while many refuse to accept it. Some say it is against Islamic regulations.

Najib, one Kabul resident, said: “I do not believe in love before marriage. It is against Islamic regulations, it is Haram.”