Saudi Arabia bans the color red for Valentine’s Day

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 ...

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.

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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