February 14: Missives from secret admirers. Surprise bouquets delivered to your door. Boxes of chocolates from your habib. These are the things we expect on Valentine’s Day. But social media posts about ‘Eid al-Hub (the Festival of Love), as it is known in Arabic, have this year taken an unexpected turn. In fact we might go so far as to rechristen it a Festival of the Bizarre.
We have to begin our roundup of all that is strange online today with a look at the very many food-related posts. There was a shawerma love-in...
You're my valentine #عيد_الحب pic.twitter.com/ksYQmmxY9d
— زَيد . (@xZaidtweets) February 14, 2017
...pizza-related desire...
#عيد_الحب the true love. pic.twitter.com/6Ur2nBcCZz
— زوزا. (@zoza317) February 14, 2017
...and a fridge full of affection - I mean, chocolate.
The best idea to celebrate valentine's day#valentines#عيد_الحب#SanValentin#SaintValentin pic.twitter.com/zEH1d9sPYu
— Ryma (@ryyma12) February 14, 2017
Away from the kitchen, one love-sick Saudi shared Valentine’s tidings via some poorly written graffiti:
Mood:
— محامد+ (@i_xiwii) February 14, 2017
#عيد_الحب pic.twitter.com/UUEiE6gg3D
Picture reads: Today is Valentine’s Day - record me as absent.
While in Egypt, creepy pictures of President Sisi have been abounding (we have no idea, either).
#valentines #عيد_الحب
— SonSon (@Hassan57246529) February 14, 2017
#صاحب_تويتر_فولورزللسناجل
Happy Valentine Day pic.twitter.com/uyKG834qDa
#ذكريات_الفلانتاين#معاك_قلبي#السيسي#الفلانتاين#عيد_الحب#happy_valentines_day
— شادي جاهين (@shadyjahyn) February 14, 2017
happy fa2rtines day#شادي_جاهين pic.twitter.com/9jDeExXJoH
The picture reads: Happy Valentine’s to the lovers and the couples, you destitute poor of Egypt!
If you were looking for an appropriate gift to give you Arab bae, this Algerian has the perfect solution for you.
What do you think of the present given by one of my friends..? He brought it to his girlfriend today for Valentine's…
We don’t think that’s what she meant by “warm me up on the cold winter nights”.... Although, that being said, it’s a whole lot better than this gift:
My Dad’s Valentine’s gift for my Mum. May God help you to stay together in this bloated love.
Meanwhile, football fans only had a one-track mind today… one that leads to Barcelona’s Champions’ League match against Paris Saint-Germain.
The dialogue reads:
-Baby
-Hello
-What does February 14 mean to you?
-It means a lot to me - I have been waiting for this day for a long time.
-Really baby?! Why is that?
-Barcelona is playing in the Champions’ League… Where did you go? Hellooo?
We were worried when a recent hashtag campaign asked Arabs to #DivorceYourWife, but these posts might just have confirmed it: romance is dead in the Middle East.
RA
