While citizens of many countries will express their love for each other on Tuesday, February 14 by recalling the exploits of a 14th century Christian martyr, Mexico simplifies the matter, preferring to refer to this romantic occasion as el Dia del Amor y la Amistad (Day of Love and Friendship).
That doesn’t mean Mexicans take their Valentine’s Day any less seriously. Cards are not so much of a big deal here, but flower, teddy bear, candy and balloon vendors will be stacking up the sales. Restaurants will be doing a busy trade too; it’s best to make a reservation at popular eateries, if you can.
Flower stalls will be stocked to the brim, particularly with roses, which usually sell between 10 and 20 pesos each.
However, in a city once known for roses, the popular Valentine flowers are now getting harder to come by. Roses nowadays are now mostly shipped into Guadalajara from Mexico State, and also Michoacan. The famous nickname still used in guidebooks – “La Cuidad de las Rosas” – dates back to the 1970s, according to historian Jose Maria Muria at the Colegio de Jalisco. He notes that Juan Lopez was the director of the city’s parks and gardens, and became known for sending trucks out around the city to plant roses in parks, plazas, roadsides and other locations. Unfortunately, the practice was not continued after his retirement, and now the roses are just a memory.
The federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco) is usually busy on February 14 and operates an annual campaign to prevent price gouging. The agency has promised to send out officials to monitor flower sales in Jalisco. While the agency says prices do go up at this time of year, they recommend that buyers take the time to compare prices.