In Pictures: Egypt Gearing up for Valentine’s Day

As night falls on February 13, shops around Egypt gear up to celebrate love on Valentine’s Day. From offers on fancy brands to young men selling dusty red balloons on street corners, the colour red decks many malls and billboards. But while there is still some enthusiasm for the occasion on the ground, this year there has been a noticed shift. The interest in Valentine’s Day has moved mostly online. As a Western holiday that has only recently entered Egyptian culture, perhaps this shift tells us that those most likely to celebrate Valentine’s Day are the ones that spend a lot of their time online.

What with globalization pushing Western holidays into the foreground, many forget that Egypt has its own day celebrating love, which is November 4th, and often unfortunately overlooked by businesses around the country.