The day of love is finally upon us. Some people love Valentine’s Day and others think it is a made up holiday concocted by the greeting card companies. Either way, here are some fun facts you probably didn’t know about the holiday of love.
-
There are at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred, recognized by the Catholic Church.
-
The most popular legend of St. Valentine is that he performed illegal marriages for young lovers in Rome during the third century. He was killed when his actions were discovered.
-
Another legend says that St. Valentine sent the first “valentine” himself before he died to the young daughter of his jailor, who visited him while he was imprisoned.
-
Others believe that Valentine’s Day originated from the pagan celebration of Lupercalia, a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and Roman founders Romulus and Remus.
-
The first valentines were sent during the 15th century. However, people didn’t start exchanging cards and letters until the 17th century.
-
Today 55% of Americans celebrate Valentine’s Day. They spend an estimated $18.2 billion, spending about $1.7 billion on just candy.
-
Americans send 141 million Valentine’s Day cards each year. That is more than any other holiday, except for Christmas.
-
Flowers are the most popular gift on Valentine’s Day. Americans send more than 220 million roses each year.Â
-
The first heart shaped box of chocolates was introduced in 1868. Today more than 36 million of these heart shaped boxes are sold each year.
-
Conversation hearts were invented in 1866. Each box has about 45 different sayings, and 10 new ones are added each year.
-
In Finland, Valentine’s Day is called Ystävänpäivä, which translates into “Friend’s day”. It’s more about celebrating your friends than your significant other.
-
It used to be known as Single’s Awareness Day by single women, but now is referred to as Galentine’s Day in celebration of female friendships thanks to Leslie Knope.
-
The average number of wedding proposals on this day is 220,000. It is the second most popular season for proposals after Christmastime.
-
Every year, the city of Verona in Italy, where Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet lived, receives 100,000 letters addressed to Juliet.Â
Â
So while Valentine’s Day may seem like just another commercialized snoozefest of a holiday, here are 14 facts that make the day more than just overpriced cards and half-decent boxes of chocolate. Happy Valentines Day from all of us at Her Campus Utah!