Courtesy of Cupid
Valentine Fun Facts…
Valentine’s Day may be known for roses, chocolates and heartfelt cards, but there’s a lot more to this love-filled holiday than meets the eye. From its surprising origins to quirky traditions celebrated around the world, Valentine’s Day has a history that’s equal parts romantic, fascinating and fun. Whether you’re celebrating with a sweetheart, friends, family or treating yourself, these fun facts offer a fresh look at a holiday that continues to capture hearts generation after generation.
• Valentine’s Day is named after Saint Valentine, but there were at least three different Saint Valentines, so historians still debate which one inspired the holiday.
• Every year, more than 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged, making it the second-largest card-giving holiday after Christmas.
• About 85 percent of Valentine’s Day cards are purchased by women, but men tend to spend more money overall on gifts.
• The first Valentine is believed to have been sent in 1415, when Charles, Duke of Orléans, wrote a love poem to his wife while imprisoned in the Tower of London.
• Conversation hearts started as medical lozenges in the 1800s before becoming the sugary messages we know today.
• Roughly 58 million pounds of chocolate are bought each Valentine’s Day. Chocolate has long been associated with love because it releases feel-good chemicals in the brain.
• Red roses became the flower of Valentine’s Day because they were said to be the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love.
• Valentine’s Day isn’t just for couples—about one-third of people buy gifts for themselves, proving self-love is officially a thing.
• Pets get plenty of love, too: Americans spend over $1 billion on Valentine’s gifts for their pets each year.
• In Japan, it’s traditional for women to give chocolate to men on Valentine’s Day, with men returning the favor a month later on White Day.
