Imagine a typical Tuesday morning. You open your flower shop, make coffee, and suddenly you see that the foot traffic looks different. People rush by with bright packages, others carry armfuls of tulips, and delivery drivers can barely keep up. At moments like this, people naturally wonder: why is everyone buying flowers today? For the average person, this may come as a surprise, but for those of us in the flower business, it is the result of careful planning and knowledge of the calendar.

Retail success comes from understanding seasonality, not luck. In the U.S., the culture of giving flowers has its own clear peaks. Knowing when exactly these "hot days" come allows the florist to prepare the right inventory, adjust wholesale deliveries, and protect your margins. 

Flowers say what people can’t always put into words, and on certain days of the year, the whole country begins to speak this language simultaneously. Let's figure out which holidays keep the register ringing and how to prepare for these demand spikes.

Flower Days

In the flower calendar, there are so-called "flower days"-periods when sales spike. They’re not just single dates-they’re full seasons, the market plans for months ahead. If you are new to business or want to plan your orders, you need to understand what each holiday means to customers. Why are people buying flowers today? What drives them: love, gratitude, grief, or simply tradition?

Here are the biggest drivers of flower sales in the U.S.:

• Valentine's Day. This is, of course, the biggest romance holiday. Red dominates, and the main character is the rose.

• Mother's Day. The holiday that generates the largest volume of sales of various flowers. Tenderness and gratitude are important here.

• International Women's Day. A holiday that has been getting more attention in the U.S. in recent years, influenced by European spring traditions.

• Christmas and Hanukkah. Time for seasonal décor, wreaths, and centerpieces.

• Easter and Thanksgiving. Family holidays where flowers serve as table centerpieces.

Each such event requires a different approach to the assortment. If in winter we sell evergreens and amaryllis, then in spring and summer, customers want lightness and color.

March 8 and spring buying trends

In recent years, we’ve noticed a trend: growing interest in International Women’s Day in the United States. Previously, it was a purely international holiday, but now it is becoming an important part of the floral calendar. It’s often framed around appreciation, solidarity, and the start of spring.

Unlike Valentine's Day, where everything is clear with red roses, Women's Day lets florists get more creative. People are looking for fresh, spring mixes. To do well that week, you should pay attention to soft, spring-forward varieties that still feel special.

Here is a list of items that are ideal for spring holidays and which are worth ordering in bulk:

1. Matthiola. It adds volume and aroma. Stock (Matthiola) looks very delicate and makes any bouquet rich and textured.

2. Lisianthus. A rose-like alternative with great vase life. It stands out beautifully in a vase and is suitable as a gift for colleagues or friends.

3. Playa Blanca rose. This is a pure classic. The luxurious Playa Blanca rose has a huge bud and a snow-white color, symbolizing sincerity.

4. Heart rose. If the client is looking for something unique for their loved one, offer a heart-shaped rose. Its shape speaks for itself and creates a wow effect.

5. Ranunculus. This is a hit of the spring season. The multi-layered white ranunculus looks like a small work of art and adds that layered, peony-like look to the composition.

These flowers are universal: they are suitable for Women’s Day, weddings, and Mother’s Day.

Mother's Day: A holiday of gratitude

Mother’s Day (second Sunday in May), everyone wants to congratulate their mother. This holiday covers the widest audience. There’s no single ‘correct’ color palette. Mixed bouquets, tulips, lilies, and peonies are popular. This is the peak of the season, when the market offers the greatest variety. For a florist, it is a marathon, where staffing, prep, and cold-chain discipline matter.

Valentine's Day: A holiday of love

If we talk about the concentration of sales in one day, then nothing concentrates demand into a single day like Valentine’s Day. February 14 is the day of the red rose. Men often buy at the last moment, so the question of why is everyone buying flowers today sounds the loudest here. This is a holiday of high expectations, where people want it to feel perfect.

Christmas and Hanukkah

In winter, the emphasis shifts. People buy not so much bouquets as compositions for the home. Poinsettias, wreaths, and pine garlands are what create the atmosphere. Sales are spread out throughout December, making this period less of a one-day sprint, more of a steady December run.

Other important dates

Don't forget Memorial Day, when people bring flowers for gravesites and remembrance arrangements to honor their loved ones. Weddings and anniversaries are also a large segment, which, although not tied to a single date, create major weekend demand from spring through fall.

How to Prepare Your Business for the Holiday Boom

Knowing the dates is half the battle. The main thing is to prepare properly. When the holiday comes, wholesalers may be at capacity, so you need to start planning wholesale supplies in advance.

Here are some tips for successful sales during the holidays:

• Analyze the past year. Look at your records. What sold best? What colors were in trend? This will help avoid leftovers.

• Place advance orders. Lock in key items early, then keep flexibility for last-minute substitutions. This guarantees you the best price and availability of the product.

• Create a holiday lineup. Instead of making everything custom, offer 5-7 options for ready-made bouquets. This will speed up the service of customers who ask why are people buying flowers today and want to quickly buy a gift.

• Don't forget about related products. Vases, cards, and chocolate - this increases the average order value.

Each holiday has its own character. Valentine’s is romance, Mother’s Day is appreciation, Women’s Day is spring and respect. Your task as a professional is to help the client express these feelings through a floral arrangement.

Remember that flowers are a product that lives on emotions. When you understand which holiday sells the most flowers in your region, you can build an effective strategy. Follow the calendar, prepare in advance, and let each of your bouquets bring joy to customers and profit to your business. When you hear people asking, ‘Why is everyone buying flowers today?’-that’s your cue that you planned it right.