Shopping on Valentine’s Day, Tunisians Follow their Hearts

A woman sports red for Valentine’s Day on Habib Bourguiba Avenue (Photo credit: Elena Lesley)

Tunisians celebrated Valentine’s Day Thursday by planning nights out with their sweethearts, buying gifts like chocolate and stuffed animals, and even wearing bright red clothes and accessories.

In downtown Tunis, young girls toted around packages with red and pink wrapping and bows.

Rihem, an 18-year-old student, told Tunisia Live this was her first year celebrating Valentine’s Day and that she bought a teddy bear for her fiancé because she thought it was “innocent and nice looking.”

Celebration of Valentine’s Day has increased in Tunisia over the last decade, partly due to globalization and the spread of new technologies.

On Thursday, Tunisians picked up gifts in Tunis, ranging from decorative cards bearing the names of loved ones in gold or silver lettering to perfume or jewelry. But many merchants said they did not believe sales were as strong as last year.

Mohamed, a man in his thirties, greeted customers enthusiastically in front of his small shop near Rue Charles de Gaulle, which sells perfume, jewelry, and clothes. He said that some women had bought underwear for their boyfriends and husbands as gifts.

A couple picks out a rose from a flower stand near the Tunis TGM train station (Photo credit: Elena Lesley)

At Fatales, a high-end store selling perfume and makeup on Habib Bourguiba Avenue, saleswomen busily wrapped gifts in shiny red paper. On the company’s official website, ads declared that “love is the dearest thing in life” and “lovers’ satisfaction is our mission.”

Couples were encouraged to upload their photos to Fatales’ Facebook page; the winning pair will snag a weekend in a luxurious hotel.

Still, Rim Faouar, a cashier at Fatales, told Tunisia Live that the sales this year are not as high as last year’s so far.

Flower sellers near the Tunis TGM train station were also taking orders from passing motorists and crafting bouquets. Lasaad Habbachi, one of the merchants, said he believed sales were slow today because Valentine’s Day fell on a workday this year.