Happy Valentine’s Day, unless you’re in Afghanistan.
Today, the Taliban banned the holiday. Signs have been posted across the city warning people of the “day of infidelity.”
But before the collapse, Valentine’s Day was one of the most popular holidays in Kabul.
A thread:
Today, the Taliban banned the holiday. Signs have been posted across the city warning people of the “day of infidelity.”
But before the collapse, Valentine’s Day was one of the most popular holidays in Kabul.
A thread:
In 2020, I was one of many other women who started pop-up or “cloud” shops. Mine was called “Laalah”, a small flower shop. I had over 150 orders on Valentine’s Day in 2021. I could have had more, but I couldn’t manage the demand.
Valentine’s Day was a celebration which filled the streets with red balloons and heart-shaped signs. If you were a young couple in Kabul, it was impossible that you didn’t plan for the day somehow (or even gifts for mothers, sisters, friends)
Cafes were decorated for Valentine’s Day, couples and friends enjoying the holiday. It was inescapable. This was love in Kabul. For our families, our friends and loved ones.
This was community-driven over two decades. Love always wins. It will win again soon.
This was community-driven over two decades. Love always wins. It will win again soon.
@alibomaye shared these photos with me from yesterday in Kabul. Despise the Ministry of Virtue’s statement, seems like many storeowners are ready for customers.
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