The first spring month is traditionally associated with International Women's Day. Although the original meaning of the holiday was quite different, today it is seen as an opportunity to express warm words to women and bring them joy. And as this important date approaches, Bishkek is once again experiencing its traditional tulip "fever".

Flowers grown specifically for the holiday are sold on almost every corner. One of the most popular spots is "Mossovet", where vendors have been selling flowers near the intersection for several days. And the most in-demand among them — the symbol of spring are tulips.

It is believed that tulips were first given as a gift on International Women's Day in 1973. That year, one of the newspapers published a picture of a man holding a huge bouquet of tulips. He was Talivaldis Čića, a supervisor at an agricultural enterprise, who had grown around 40,000 tulips and handed them out to women on March 8.

At "Mossovet", flower sales are in full swing, experienced city residents, having learned from previous years, know that prices will skyrocket on the holiday itself and right now, tulips can be purchased for an average of 150–180 KGS. Sellers assure buyers that if they purchase a bouquet today, it will stay fresh until the holiday and last for another couple of weeks after. They also advise buying flowers now, as prices are expected to rise to 200–220 KGS — or even higher — on the eve of March 8.

Of course, besides tulips, other flowers are also available — chrysanthemums, gerberas, mimosas and, of course, roses. Their prices, by the way, are just as high. Roses compete with tulips in popularity and cost around 200 KGS on average.

Additionally, vendors are offering soap flowers, joking that they smell just like real ones, will last forever, and, if the bouquet ever gets boring, can even be used to wash your hands.

This year, for the first time, Greenhouse No. 2 of the municipal enterprise "Zelenstroy" under the capital municipality, grew 5,000 tulips specially for this occasion. Unsurprisingly, wholesalers snapped them up within days! After all, these bright and beautiful flowers were available for just 60 KGS per piece.

Resellers quickly put these tulip bouquets up for sale in flower shops, where prices now range from 130 to 180 KGS per item. However, it all depends on the sellers' pricing strategy — some stores are charging over 200 KGS. For example, an online store offers a bouquet of 25 tulips for 4,730 KGS, meaning each flower costs nearly 190 KGS. Another shop sells a bouquet of 9 tulips for 2,184 KGS, pricing each flower at over 243 KGS. And if you’re looking for a grand gesture, a bouquet of 101 tulips will set you back more than 22,000 KGS.

As a result, "Zelenstroy" earned only 300,000 KGS from selling its entire batch of tulips, while resellers managed to make three to three and a half times more. That’s seasonal business. Some florists, by the way, specifically forced tulips to bloom early in greenhouses — a process known as "forcing" — which involves a set of techniques to make the flowers bloom outside their natural season. After all, tulips typically bloom in April or May.

Meanwhile, according to a survey conducted by one of the marketplaces, International Women's Day remains one of the most beloved holidays in our country, celebrated by 79% of residents. Additionally, most surveyed men are willing to spend between 10,000 to 30,000 KGS on this day, with some even spending more. Interestingly, 62% of respondents plan to buy flowers.