Ebony's Pearls

Heart Dragons Entwined
Originally uploaded by nodigio

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1164613520080211

Saudi Arabia has banned red roses and all things red from Valentine’s Day in an attempt to clamp down on displays of affection between unmarried people. This simply encourages people to find alternatives. Can’t get red? Why not use green? In Saudi Arabia, green is a harder, more precious color. I can see them giving sprays of evergreens as pledges of eternal love, giving pots of ivies or even of Burmuda grass. Jasmine has long been a symbol of purity and love, so why not small potted jasmines? Oranges, too, are symbols of love, so a basket of oranges would send as clear a message of love as red roses. If it has to be roses, why not send pink ones, or white ones, or orange ones (Tropicana) with a pair of oranges?

I can see how they could keep the vice squads on their toes by changing the symbols of Valentine’s Day until everything was symbolic of the occasion. The vice squad would then be in a position of having to ban everything. That would be interesting.