25 Enjoyable Information You Did not Know About Valentine’s Day

Love is within the air as a result of Valentine’s Day has arrived!

Feb. 14 has lengthy been often called a day of romance, full of heart-shaped goodies, pink roses and large balloons at each flip. Whether or not you are exchanging candy dialog candies, planning a candlelit dinner or sending a heartfelt letter signed “XOXO,” this present day is all about love in its many types. However how precisely did these traditions come to be?

Whereas the vacation is commonly linked to the story of Saint Valentine, its historical past contains a number of different influences which have formed Valentine’s Day into what it’s right this moment — together with the sudden origins of dialog hearts, which truly started as medical lozenges. From historic Roman festivals to billion-dollar present gross sales, there’s loads to know in regards to the journey to right this moment’s love-filled celebrations.

Beneath are 25 enjoyable info you did not learn about Valentine’s Day.

The vacation is believed to have began as a Roman fertility pageant

There are a number of variations of how Valentine’s Day got here to be, although a generally believed one is that it began as a Roman pageant often called Lupercalia. In accordance with Brittanica, Lupercalia included “fertility rites and the pairing off of ladies with males by lottery.”

Valentine’s Day grew to become celebrated as a day of romance across the 14th century

Though Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 as Valentine’s Day towards the tip of the fifth century, it wasn’t till across the 14th century that it grew to become related to romance, per Historical past.com.

St. Valentine’s Day took on a brand new which means because of English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who documented it as a day of romance in his 1375 poem Parliament of Fowls, writing, “For this was despatched on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan each foul cometh ther to decide on his mate.”

Saint Valentine is believed to be two completely different historic characters

Valentine’s Day is often linked to the legend of Saint Valentine, however the Catholic Church acknowledges a number of saints by that title. Some imagine the vacation honors Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, whereas others affiliate it with a priest who secretly officiated unions for {couples} when Emperor Claudius II banned marriages for younger males, in keeping with Historical past.com.

Folks actually did “put on their hearts on their sleeves”

Right now, sporting one’s coronary heart “on their sleeve” is a standard idiom for brazenly expressing true feelings. However there are a lot of tales on how this phrase got here to be, per Smithsonian Journal.

One legend tells of males drawing names at a Roman pageant to find out their suitor for the 12 months, sporting her title on their sleeve all through the occasion. One other means that knights devoted their jousting matches to a woman of the court docket, tying considered one of her belongings — like a handkerchief — to their arm as an emblem of defending her honor.

The oldest recognized valentine was written in jail

Legend has it that the oldest recognized valentine was written by Valentine himself to a younger lady who visited him throughout his confinement, per Historical past.com. Shortly earlier than his demise, he allegedly penned her a letter signed, “Out of your Valentine.”

“Vinegar Valentines” have been used to discourage suitors

In the course of the Victorian Period, “vinegar valentines,” also called penny dreadfuls, have been anonymously despatched to fend off undesirable suitors. In contrast to conventional valentines, these playing cards have been full of insults and rejections fairly than candy sentiments, in keeping with Historical past.com.

4 American cities are referred to as “Valentine” — and every has their very own celebratory traditions

Whereas the romantic vacation is well known all all over the world, there are 4 American cities referred to as “Valentine” — in Nebraska, Arizona, Virginia (although with an “s” on the finish) and Texas — that every has a singular approach of honoring their namesake, per Inside Hook.

For instance, Valentine, Neb., is adorned with painted hearts on the sidewalks and candy-red road indicators. Because the self-proclaimed “Coronary heart Metropolis,” some eating places even supply heart-shaped steaks.

Valentine’s Day is the second largest card-sending vacation of the 12 months

In accordance with Hallmark, roughly 145 million Valentine’s Day playing cards are exchanged yearly, making it the second-largest card-sending vacation of the 12 months. (Christmas tops Valentine’s Day with roughly 1.3 billion playing cards despatched yearly, per Hallmark.)

Lecturers obtain essentially the most Valentine’s Day playing cards yearly

Whereas Valentine’s Day is regarded as primarily celebrated amongst companions and household, reportedly, lecturers obtain essentially the most celebratory playing cards annually.

The typical quantity an individual spends celebrating Valentine’s Day is estimated to be $188 in 2025

In accordance with the Nationwide Retail Federation, customers are anticipated to spend a file $27.5 billion on Valentine’s Day, averaging $188.81 per particular person.

Billions of {dollars} are spent on Valentine’s Day items for pets

Valentine’s Day is not only for romantic companions — it is also for furry mates! In accordance with the Nationwide Retail Affiliation, Valentine’s Day items for pets culminated in $1.189 billion spent in 2022, per Fox Tampa Bay.

Sweet is the commonest Valentine’s Day present

In accordance with a report by Capital One, sweet is bought greater than every other present for Valentine’s Day — nevertheless, customers spend essentially the most sum of money on jewellery.

Coronary heart-shaped chocolate bins have been launched within the 1860s — and now greater than 36 million are bought annually

Chocolate dates again to at the very least 450 B.C., nevertheless it was revolutionized within the 1800s by brothers Richard and George Cadbury. After they took over their household’s chocolate enterprise in 1861, they launched Fancy Containers — adorned, chocolate-filled packages. A number of years later, they found a approach to make use of extra cocoa butter to reinvent the best way individuals ate “goodies.” By 1868, they have been promoting heart-shaped bins of goodies, establishing them as the proper Valentine’s Day present.

Right now, it is estimated that greater than 35 million heart-shaped bins of chocolate are bought annually for Valentine’s Day, per Sugar Plum Candies.

Dialog hearts originated as medical lozenges

Dialog hearts may be candy and romantic now, however they really started as medical lozenges. In accordance with the 2013 e book Sweet: A Century of Panic and Pleasure, dialog hearts date again to 1847, when Boston pharmacist Oliver Chase invented a machine to simplify the manufacturing of apothecary lozenges, which have been in excessive demand as a sore throat treatment on the time.

Candy messages started being printed on dialog hearts in 1866

After Chase created the machine, he quickly transitioned from making medicinal lozenges to sweet and based what later grew to become the New England Confectionary Firm (NECCO).

In 1866, Chase’s brother Daniel found a way to imprint phrases onto the sweet lozenges utilizing a felt curler pad and vegetable coloring — paving the best way for the sweet coronary heart messages exchanged right this moment, per HuffPost.

Cupid was a Roman god

If you consider Cupid, you most likely think about a unadorned cherub launching arrows of affection. However in Roman mythology, Cupid was the god of affection. (He was often called Eros in Greek mythology.)

In accordance with the Greek Archaic poets, he was seen as a good-looking immortal who used golden arrows to spark love and intervene with the feelings of Gods and males.

Valentine’s Day is a florist’s busiest day of the 12 months

In 2022, 22% of Individuals are estimated to have purchased recent flowers or vegetation as items for Valentine’s Day — making it the no. 1 vacation for florists and floral purchases, per the Society of American Florists.

Flowers have completely different meanings per colour — which is why pink roses are the most well-liked for Valentine’s Day

Ever questioned why pink roses are so in style on Valentine’s Day? It is as a result of pink roses symbolize ardour and romance.

Different flower colours have symbolism, too: pink is related to femininity and charm, whereas peach represents sweetness and gratitude. In the meantime, yellow embodies happiness and positivity, orange symbolizes enthusiasm and success and white illustrates purity and sympathy.

Round 250 million roses are grown annually in preparation for Valentine’s Day

Since Valentine’s Day falls within the winter months when it is too chilly for roses to develop, they must be shipped in from different international locations. In accordance with OC Wholesale Flowers, roughly 250 million roses are grown annually in preparation for the excessive demand on Valentine’s Day — and have a strict logistical protocol for supply home windows in order that they do not wilt earlier than the celebratory day.

Galentine’s Day originated from an episode of Parks and Recreation

Calling all Galentines! Do you know that Galentine’s Day originated from a 2010 episode of Parks and Recreation? Within the episode, Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) hosted a brunch for her feminine mates on Feb. 13 to have fun their friendships.

It’s a preferred proposal day — however one vacation has it beat

In accordance with The Knot, Valentine’s Day is among the hottest dates for individuals to get engaged — however not the highest. In accordance with their inner examine, the most well-liked proposal date is Christmas Day.

Lovebirds are actual — they usually mate for all times

Lovebirds is not only a time period for an affectionate couple — they’re an precise species. In accordance with Smithsonian Journal, these brightly coloured parrots attain sexual maturity at round 10 months and type lifelong bonds with their mates.

Plus, ever heard of somebody “pining” after a romantic accomplice? Effectively, lovebirds do this, too. If separated from their mate or flock, they exhibit erratic conduct usually linked to melancholy, per Smithsonian.

“XOXO” hasn’t all the time meant hugs and kisses

Right now, “XOXO” means “hugs and kisses,” however its origins weren’t all the time romantic. The “X” dates again to the Center Ages when individuals signed paperwork with it as an emblem of religion, resembling a cross —usually sealing it with a kiss to point out sincerity.

The “O” has a number of variations of an origin story; some hyperlink it to the sport tic-tac-toe, whereas others imagine it represents the form of a hugging embrace.

Valentine’s Day is well known in a different way all over the world

Though Valentine’s Day is well known throughout the globe, varied international locations have their very own traditions to have fun the vacation.

For instance, Brazil celebrates its model of Valentine’s Day in June fairly than February, whereas the Czech Republic honors “Thee Day of Love” in Might. Moreover, Finland honors friendship fairly than important others on Valentine’s Day.

In the meantime, in Germany, {couples} trade pig-shaped items and heart-shaped trinkets as symbols of affection and lust.

There’s a vacation for individuals who get pleasure from being single additionally celebrated on Feb. 14

Whereas some are celebrating Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14, others are observing Worldwide Quirkyalone Day. In accordance with the IQD web site, it is a “really feel good various” to Valentine’s Day that celebrates “romance, friendship, and unbiased spirit.”