# Gently Holds Gently Holds is a Cursed Emoji showing a yellow, teary-eyed face with palms held forward as if cradling something beloved, captioned 'gently holds.' First posted to Tumblr in March 2020 beneath a photo of two rats, the image traveled across platforms as users photoshopped characters and pets into its outstretched hands[1]. By late 2021, Instagram reposts of a Genshin Impact edit were hitting over 19,000 likes[7]. ## Origin On March 6th, 2020, Tumblr user ayyyden-main replied to a post by sasmeo-bisaster that featured a photograph of two rats, adding a custom yellow Emoji with teary eyes and open palms captioned 'gently holds'[1]. Sasmeo-bisaster followed up with a second comment showing the same Emoji edited to appear to hold both rats, which the thread credits as the earliest known use of the image[1]. Whether ayyyden-main actually drew the Emoji or simply shared an existing one is unconfirmed, so the artist of record stays Unknown[5]. - **Platform:** Tumblr - **Creator:** Unknown - **Date:** 2020 ## Overview Users create versions by layering a subject, usually a cute animal or fictional character, directly above the Emoji's open palms so it appears to be cradling them. Posters pair the image with a caption of affection or protective obsession, and the tearful expression signals overwhelming fondness instead of sadness[1]. The Emoji belongs to a wider family of Cursed Emojis circulating on Tumblr and Twitter, and Gently Holds resembles Powercry, an earlier image by Twitter artist @okayroutt[5]. Posts range from fandom-specific edits of anime or video game characters to generic pet photos, with the humor sitting in the extreme softness of the caption against the slightly off-putting, watery eyes. Edits often include additional text riffing on 'hold,' such as 'please let me hold him' or 'i wanna squeeze him,' aligning the tone with other 'protect this one' reaction images on fandom Tumblr and Reddit[9]. ## How to Use To make a Gently Holds edit, users typically place a subject, usually a pet photo or fictional character sprite, above the Emoji's outstretched hands, then crop or resize so the subject appears to rest in the palms[3]. Captions often expand on the 'hold' idea with lines like 'please let me hold him' or 'i wanna squeeze him,' matching the soft fandom tone of the original[9]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Gently Holds? Gently Holds is a Cursed Emoji showing a yellow, teary-eyed face with palms outstretched, captioned 'gently holds,' typically edited to cradle a character or animal the poster adores[1]. ### Where did Gently Holds come from? The Emoji first appeared on Tumblr on March 6th, 2020, when user ayyyden-main replied to a sasmeo-bisaster post of two rats with the custom Emoji[1]. ### What does Gently Holds mean? The caption signals overwhelming affection, with the watery eyes and open hands reading as 'I love this creature so much I need to hold it,' not literal sadness[5]. ### How do you use Gently Holds? Users typically place a photo or sprite of a character above the Emoji's open palms and add a caption about wanting to hold or squeeze the subject, as seen in Bingus and Genshin Impact edits[3][7]. ### Is Gently Holds still popular? By 2023, fandom communities on Instagram and Facebook were still sharing new versions, with a Bungou Stray Dogs edit on Facebook reaching over 8,500 reactions that February[9]. ## References 1. [https://www.tumblr.com/sasmeo-bisaster/611854437264261120/now-you-are-really-holding-them]() 2. [https://twitter.com/baseokline/status/1245425210670624768]() 3. [https://www.instagram.com/p/CI2wECSFPxw/]() 4. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Kirby/comments/lbjlus/gently_holds/]() 5. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/gently-holds]() 6. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Genshin_Memepact/comments/q8fxr7/thakns_aloy/]() 7. [https://www.instagram.com/p/CVD97aaor7T/]() 8. [https://www.instagram.com/p/CcyZjUTOfix/]() 9. [https://www.facebook.com/100067481431008/posts/512117884380922]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/gently-holds Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library