Some TL 2.5 billion is spent on flowers every Valentine's Day in Turkey, a Turkish florist union chief said Monday.

"[The amount of] flowers produced in a month are sold on [a single day on] Feb. 14," İsmail Başaran said.

"One out of four gifts is a bunch of flowers," Başaran told Anadolu Agency (AA), underlining that flowers are often the first gift that come to mind. While roses are usually the most popular choice, he noted that people also buy their loved ones orchids, lilies and daisies on Feb. 14.

He added that flower prices in 2019 went up 20 percent compared to the previous year as one rose is currently sold for TL 10 and a bouquet going for between TL 20 up to TL 100. While florists do not often receive such orders Başaran said that some seeking "something different" bought sets of 1,001 roses, a bouquet of which cost TL 10,000. Valentine's Day is celebrated with cards, flowers, and chocolates but has its roots in a 3rd-century priest in Rome who performed secret marriages between young people. Martyred by the Roman emperor Claudius II in 270 A.D., St. Valentine is honored by Christian churches every year. However, across the world also in Turkey, young people have developed a trend for surprise proposals on this day.