Some Amazing Facts
Some Facts about Valentineās Day:
Lupercalia, a Roman fertility festival that involved feasting and the pairing of young women with men through a lottery, is often considered the precursor to Valentineās Day.
The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine, all of whom were martyred, contributing to the multiple legends surrounding St. Valentine.
The romantic connotations of Valentineās Day didnāt emerge until the Middle Ages. It was Geoffrey Chaucer who first linked St. Valentineās Day with romance in his work, āParliament of Foulesā.
The Duke of Orleans, Charles, sent the earliest known valentine in 1415 while imprisoned in the Tower of London. Sadly, his wife died before the letter could reach her.
The phrase āwearing your heart on your sleeveā may have originated from a Middle Ages tradition where men would draw the names of women who they would be coupled with for the upcoming year, wearing these names on their sleeves.
Esther Howland, a young graduate, started a successful Valentineās Day card business in the 19th century, revolutionized the American greeting card industry.
The Victorians popularized the trend of giving flowers on Valentineās Day, viewing them as a symbol of affection.
Valentineās Day is the busiest day of the year for florists, with millions of flower arrangements being delivered across the globe.
While Valentineās Day originated as a feast day for St. Valentine, it has largely lost its religious connotations and is now primarily a secular celebration of love.
The tradition of signing a valentine with an āXā comes from the Middle Ages. People who couldnāt write their names signed with an āXā, which represented a kiss.
An estimated 145 million Valentineās Day cards are exchanged annually, making it the second-largest holiday for giving greeting cards.
Pet love is also celebrated on Valentineās Day, with about 25% of pet owners giving gifts to their pets.
Oliver Chase, the inventor of candy hearts, originally started his career by producing medicinal lozenges before moving into confectionery.
Valentineās Day is a sweet holiday, with consumers purchasing over 58 million pounds of chocolate and candy.
The character Juliet from Shakespeareās āRomeo and Julietā receives thousands of letters every year from people sharing their stories of love and heartbreak.
