Saudi Arabia bans the color red for Valentine's Day

Posted By Blake Hounshell Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - 10:19 AM Share

For those Saudi officials who wonder why their country gets so much bad press, here is a hint: Stop doing stupid things like banning the color red in flower and gift shops for Valentine's Day.

The best part? There's an underground market for red roses:

Because of the ban on red roses, a black market has flowered ahead of Valentine's Day. Roses that normally go for five Saudi riyal ($1.30) fetch up to 30 riyal ($8) on February 14, the Saudi Gazette said.

"Sometimes we deliver the bouquets in the middle of the night or early morning, to avoid suspicion," one florist told the paper.

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