Shawarma bouquets, egg arrangements and a flower-covered Mercedes

Valentine’s Day brought edible bouquets, luxury surprises and unconventional gifts across Iraq on Friday, as residents marked the occasion with gestures ranging from shawarma arrangements to 1,000-rose packages.

In Baghdida on the Nineveh Plain, restaurant owner Raed Nizar Jirjis introduced a Valentine’s gift combining red roses and chicken shawarma wraps. The bouquet features five wraps surrounded by roses, wrapped in colored paper and red ribbons, with a personalized message on request. He also offers a shawarma “cake” — seven wraps cut in half and arranged vertically over garlic sauce, filled with French fries, topped with more sauce and stuffed grape leaves, and decorated with ribbons.

“While traditional gifts that young people buy for 100,000 dinars ($69) or more are put aside immediately after Valentine’s Day, this gift is eaten the same day and fills the hearts with joy,” Jirjis told 964media. The bouquet costs 15,000 dinars ($10), the cake 20,000 ($14). “Like killing two birds with one stone, as the saying goes.”

He said the idea came from Instagram trends in Syria and Lebanon, and that orders will continue after the holiday.

In Erbil, florist Yousif Sadiq said one customer brought a Mercedes to be decorated with flowers as a gift for his fiancée — a vehicle he estimated at $40,000. Sadiq said flowers and sweets remain the most common gifts, but added: “This year I felt a difference — women are buying more gifts for men.”

Fellow Erbil florist Harem Pusho said unusual requests also emerged. “Last night someone came and brought some eggs with him and said, arrange them with some flowers into a bouquet so I can gift them to my beloved,” he told 964media. “Apparently the brother loves eggs and is an egg lover, so he did this.” Pusho noted that in previous years, some customers chose onions instead of flowers.

In Sulaymaniyah, florist Shadiya Mustafa said 1,000 roses were arranged as a single package for one customer, a process requiring three employees. The arrangement was heavy because its base was made of wet sponge. Mustafa said the price of a single rose reached 3,000 dinars ($2) on Valentine’s Day.

In Najaf, markets recorded strong demand for natural roses and boxed gifts. Valentine’s Day coincided with student graduation ceremonies, creating what shop owners described as a dual festive atmosphere.

Nazem Zahi, head of the local Artists Syndicate branch, told 964media: “Valentine’s Day for me this year was different, as I booked a skincare session and dental cleaning for my wife. This is the real Valentine’s Day and not just a red teddy bear.”

Flower seller Zain al-Abidin said the holiday “is not limited to couples only but also includes mothers, sisters and wives.”