Ban or not, Valentine’s brings windfall for florists

Some say celebrating the day is at odds with our cultural norms

RAWALPINDI: Despite a ban, residents of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi are all geared up to mark February 14 as the day of love, Valentine’s Day.

Amidst the frenzy, stores selling flowers and other paraphernalia are milking the opportunity to make a quick buck by decorating their stores in red colours, flowers, teddy bears and heart-shaped plushies.

The markets have also turned red while there are vendors selling roses in every nook and corner of the city. The city has seen a record increase in the sale of natural and artificial rose flowers and other accessories in the last two days.

Florists Haji Ismail, Firdous Khan and Najaf Hasnain who have stalls along the Murree Road and in Raja Bazar told Daily Express that demand for flowers had soared this year despite a price hike.

Moreover, they said that this was perhaps the only day in the year when around 98 per cent of customers – mostly youngsters — do not bargain while making a purchase. Moreover, they also request to wrap flowers in beautiful and attractive packaging for which they are quite content to pay extra.

Red roses, which are usually available in the market for Rs50 can cost as much as Rs500. Such is the demand, that even the prices of artificial flowers — sold for Rs10 — are sold for Rs20 –Rs30.



Idrees Khan, who manages a stall of artificial flowers said that they last longer than their natural counterparts which are a big draw for some.

Moreover, they were quite cheaper when compared to natural flowers. He added that he was selling a pocket flower for Rs10, small, artificial flowers for Rs15 while an average sized flower cost Rs25.

He added that he had stocked up on them ahead of the big day, adding that he had sold some 3,500 flowers by 9pm on Wednesday alone.

The red dust of inflated infatuated consumption also affects other traditional Valentine’s day

items with decorative items ranging from Rs50-Rs1,000 seeing a hike.

Asked about the ban, the florists said that flowers were a gift of God, and a ban on their sale was contemptible.

Meanwhile, Anjuman-Talba-Islam President Rameez Hassan Raja told Daily Express that celebrating Valentine’s Day was alien to the Muslim culture.

Raja said that modesty was the core of Islamic values as well as of human nature. Hence, meetings between girlfriends and boyfriends and giving them gifts were contradictory to our cultural norms.

He contended that such actions give rise to a host of social problems.

“The awareness about respect and sanctity of women should be promoted,” he suggested, adding that the youth must not blindly follow western culture.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT IN ISLAMABAD 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2019.