Valentine's Day Facts

 Every year on February 14th, St. Valentine's Day is observed. Although the day is officially known as Saint Valentine's Day, most people refer to it as Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine. It was originally a day to honor Saint Valentinus, a priest who conducted marriages for soldiers who were forbidden from marrying. For this, as well as ministering to Christians, he was imprisoned. Before his execution, Saint Valentinus sent a letter to his jailer's daughter. 'From your Valentine,' he signed his letter. On February 14th, he was laid to rest. Until the Middle Ages, Valentine's Day was not connected with romantic love. By the 1700s, it had evolved into the Valentine's Day we know today in England. At this time, lovers started to show their love with valentines, which were presents of flowers, sweets, and cards.

Valentine's Day Facts to Consider:

Every year on Valentine's Day, at least 36 million heart-shaped chocolate boxes are sold.

Men, on average, spend twice as much money on Valentine's Day presents than women do. The average amount spent by a guy is $130.

Each year, enough candy hearts are produced to span from Valentine, Arizona, to Rome, Italy, and back. The total amount of candy hearts manufactured is estimated to be about 8 billion.

On Valentine's Day, about 50 million roses are distributed across the globe.

Approximately 85 percent of all Valentine's Day cards sold are purchased by women.

Valentine's Day is only second to Christmas as the most popular day of the year for mailing cards.

Every year, about 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are exchanged in the United States alone.

Women account for about 27% of those who purchase flowers on Valentine's Day. The remaining 73 percent are males.

The expression "wear your heart on your sleeve" has a long history. In the Middle Ages, young people drew their valentine's name from a bowl. For one week, they had to wear the name on their sleeves.

Every year on February 14th, the Italian city of Verona gets around 1,000 letters dedicated to Juliet. Romeo and Juliet, the youthful lovers from Shakespeare's play, resided here.

Richard Cadbury, a late-nineteenth-century confectioner, created the first Valentine's Day candy box.

Alexander Graham Bell filed for his telephone patent on Valentine's Day, 1876.

Venus has a son named Cupid. Venus was the goddess of love and beauty.

On Valentine's Day, about 15% of women give flowers to themselves.

King Henry the Eighth proclaimed February 14th a holiday in 1537. Because most of King Henry the Eighth's wives did not bear him a son, he had them killed.

On Valentine's Day, at least 9 million individuals purchase gifts for their dogs.

In the Middle Ages, superstition held that if you were single on Valentine's Day, you would marry the first single person of the opposite sex you encountered.

On February 14th, 1929, penicillin was first presented.

Julia, the jailor's daughter, planted an almond tree with pink flowers beside St. Valentine's tomb after he was buried. Today, the almond tree represents enduring friendship and love.