It’s February, which means it’s time for all the hearts, candy, flowers, and declarations of love. While most people simply see February 14th as a day to give a heartfelt card and a “Happy Valentine’s Day” to someone they love, there are actually an endless amount of facts and figures surrounding the day. Read on to find a hidden gem about this lovable day.
Arrows are the weapon of choice for Cupid, the son of the goddess of love and the winged messenger to the gods, using them to shoot unsuspecting souls and causing them to fall in love. Cupid began appearing on greeting cards in the late 1700s as a symbol of love.
Be Mine is the most printed phrase on conversation hearts, invented by the New England Candy Company in 1902.
Chocolates are given as Valentine’s Day gifts because they contain phenylethylamine, a chemical that mimics the feeling of being in love.
Dessert wines are perfect for a romantic Valentine’s dinner. A sweet Riesling gives a fruity flavor to a crème brulee and a bottle of Port wine will pair nicely with any chocolate dessert.
Engaged to be married is how many people dream of ending their Valentine’s Day. While 36% of people believe Valentine’s Day is the most romantic day to get engaged, only 8% of engagements happen on Valentine’s Day.
First to record Valentine’s Day as a day of romantic celebration, was English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, in his 1375 poem “Parliament of Foules,” writing, “For this was seynt on Seynt Valentyne’s day/whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.”
Galentine’s Day is observed on February 13 and is a day to celebrate your best female friends.
Hallmark estimates that 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are sold each year, making it the second largest card sending holiday, right behind Christmas.
In the Philippines, local governments help couples who can’t afford their own weddings by having mass weddings on or around Valentine’s Day. In 2010, 1,500 couples were wed in a mass ceremony.
Jonquils mean “I desire a return of affection,” so they are the perfect flower to tell someone that they are the object of your affection, and you hope they feel the same.
Kissing is part of Valentine’s Day in real life and in the movies, but the first ever on-screen kiss was in the 1896 movie The Kiss when movies were still a new concept. It lasted about two seconds, but audiences were enthralled.
Love, on Valentine’s Day and every day is the most frequently used word in song lyrics. 67% of all songs since the 1960s have been about love.
Money often limits the size of the romantic Valentine’s Day gesture, but if it were no object, some popular ways to say I love you are taking a trip to Italy or France, hiring a plane to write a romantic message in the sky, and gifting something expensive like a Rolex watch or a Chanel purse.
Nebraska, Arizona, Texas, and Virginia all have towns named Valentine. Oregon and Arizona became states on Valentine’s Day.
On Valentine’s Day, 63% of us will send a Valentine’s Day text.
Parenting makes some people more excited about Valentine’s Day. In 2023, 55% of people admitted to putting more efforts into making the day fun and festive since becoming a parent.
Quality time with their significant other is the most requested Valentine’s Day gift, beating out flowers, candy, and jewelry.
Rings with diamonds in them are not only a girl’s best friend, but their nature of being strong, resilient, and enduring are why they are the traditional engagement ring stones.
Saying, “Will you be my Valentine?” got a lot easier thanks to the invention of the telephone, an invention for which Alexander Graham Bell filed his patent on Valentine’s Day.
Teachers receive more valentines than anyone including kids, significant others, and pets. They likely receive many of the 250 million roses grown each year just for Valentine’s Day.
Universally, the heart is recognized as the symbol of Valentine’s Day. The use of a heart as a symbol of the verb “to love” started in 1977 with the popular logo I <3 NY.
Violence erupted on February 14, 1929, in a gang fight on Chicago’s north side. Known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, the gang war was the result of an attempt to eliminate Al Capone as the crime boss of Chicago.
Wine is regarded as the drink of love. In ancient Rome it was believed that drinking wine could help bring couples closer together. Rose, Prosecco, Red, or Sparkling, any of these wines pairs well with your Valentine’s Day pastas, fruits, cheeses, nuts, grilled meats and salads.
Xoxo is known as “kisses and hugs.” The history of the X goes back to the Middle Ages when many people couldn’t read or write so they signed important documents with an X to represent sincerity, faith, and honesty. They would kiss the X as a symbol of their sworn oath.
Yellow acacia flowers mean “concealed love” and gifting these flowers to someone means that you secretly admire them.
Zoom dates make long distance Valentine’s Day celebrations possible. The power of technology makes it possible to have the quintessential dinner and a movie date no matter how many miles are between you and your Valentine.