Valentine’s Day is, of course, a celebration of love, a day for hearts, emotions, chocolate, roses, and whispering sweet nothings. The day is celebrated in over 100 countries of the world. But there are at least 20 surprising things you probably didn’t know about this special day.
Valentine’s Day – Origins
Is Valentine’s Day really romantic? Today, yes, but did you know that Saint Valentine, the newly minted patron saint of lovers was—wait for it—a priest who was martyred on none other than February 14, 270 (or 268, depending on your source). Ouch! Who was his torturer? The Roman Emperor Claudius, who dreamed of an enormous army and worried that the soldiers in his empire would rather stay home with their wives. He forbade marriage for his men, but Valentine, a true believer in love, married many couples despite Claudius’s orders.
Valentine’s Day – Birds
In some countries, mid-February marks the beginning of mating season for many birds. Even the great Shakespeare wrote in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, “Saint Valentine is past: Begin these wood-birds but to couple now?” Among the most faithful of birds, swans choose a mate and stay with them for life.
Valentine’s Day – Cupid
King for a day, the cherished figure that all singles hope to find along their way—Cupid is the mini-god of love and son of the renowned Venus, the absolute goddess of seduction, beauty, and love—guess it runs in the family! This chubby little figure shoots arrows (or flowers, depending on the story), hoping to make two people fall in love. According to legend, Cupid is the great creator of all couples in the entire universe—no less!
Valentine’s Day – Cards
The first Valentine’s Day card was from the Duke of Orléans—the younger brother of Charles VI, King of France—who sent it to his wife with a poem, in the 15th century. As luck would have it, his mother’s name was—Valentine! Fast forward to 2017: did you know that, around the world, people send each other roughly a billion cards decorated with red hearts and flowers?
Valentine’s Day – Chocolate
Is Valentine’s Day a celebration of chocolate? Either way, a box of chocolates—likely in the shape of a heart—is one of the most popular gifts on February 14. In the US, every year, chocolate sales reach or exceed $20 billion!
Valentine’s Day – Movies
Here’s the recipe for the perfect romantic movie: meeting + conflict + new problem + declaration of love + unexpected solution + dramatic ending—happy or not! Romantic movies are pretty predictable, but that doesn’t stop certain classics from being popular for couples on the evening of February 14. Favorites include Titanic, Ghost, The Notebook, P.S. I Love You, and The Bridges of Madison County.
Valentine’s Day – The Colour Of Love
Giving roses is one way to express your love, but not all colours send the same message. A red rose symbolizes passion; white, the purity and sincerity of your feelings; yellow, friendship; orange, carnal desire; and pink, loyalty and sweetness.
Valentine’s Day – A Loaded Bouquet
The number of roses you give on Valentine’s Day also has meaning. One rose is good for a whirlwind romance. Giving two means you’re trying to apologize. A bouquet of 12 is reserved for marriage proposals, and 36 is to profess true love. And, if your wallet can handle it, 101 roses signifies the craziest love of all—especially when you think of the bill you’ll be getting from your florist!
Valentine’s Day – Alone
Cupid often misses his mark. The proof? Roughly 124.6 million American adults were single in 2014. That’s a lot of people who are lonely and probably have no interest in celebrating on February 14. Being alone is tough, which is why numerous help lines notice a rise in the number of calls around Valentine’s Day. It’s certainly not everyone’s favorite day.
Valentine’s Day – Kisses
At the end of a steamy love letter, you sign your name and put a couple of X’s to signify the kisses you’re sending to your sweetheart. There are two possible origins for this quasi-universal symbol. 1) In Catholicism, the X was the symbol of the cross and has been used since to express the love that we have for others. 2) The X signifies the word “kiss” which, when said quickly, sounds a bit like X.
Valentine’s Day – Money
According to an American study, men spend more than women on Valentine’s Day. What does that mean? Are they afraid of not living up to their partners’ expectations or do women just have higher expectations? The fact is, on average, men spend $168.74 on gifts—almost twice as much as the mere $85.76 that women spend.
Valentine’s Day – Declarations
Sometimes, distraught lovers choose Valentine’s Day to declare their love to their secret flame. In the Middle Ages, they showed their love in a different way. Unmarried women put their names in an urn and unmarried men picked a valentine. Then, they pinned the name of their newly chosen love on their sleeve for a week. That’s pretty far from the modern ways we find our soul mates today.
Valentine’s Day – Pets
Do you have a cat or a dog? Maybe several? Are you going to give them a Valentine’s Day gift? If so, you’re part of the 3% of people with a pet that do this every year. Don’t be embarrassed—these animals are near and dear to your heart.
Valentine’s Day – Cities Of Love
Forget Paris! There are plenty of less predictable cities dedicated to love and passion. Plan a trip to these lesser-known yet aptly named locations for an exciting and romantic getaway: Kissing (Germany), Valentines (USA), Lovers’ Island (Croatia), Lovers’ Beach (Mexico), Heart’s Desire (Canada), Lover (England), and Loveland (USA).
Valentine’s Day – Finland
Alone on Valentine’s Day? Pack your bags for Finland. Okay, that might be a bit far-fetched, but perhaps you should borrow their interesting take on Valentine’s Day. For them, the celebration—Ystävänpäivä—encompasses much more than lovers. It’s a celebration of friends. Their unique interpretation of this holiday ensures no one is left behind. Pretty great, isn’t it?
Valentine’s Day – Adult Toys
Yes, there are flowers, chocolates, and stuffed animals, but other kinds of things are also given as gifts on Valentine’s Day. Erotic boutiques see their sales rise as Valentine’s Day approaches. They say one sex toy is sold every minute in the days leading up to February 14.
Valentine’s Day – Favorites
Who’s the most spoiled on Valentine’s Day? Lovers? Nope! It’s teachers—they’re the real winners of the day. After them come children, mothers, spouses, lovers, and, last but not least, pets! Where do you sit on this list? What are your chances of getting a little attention at some point on this special day?
Valentine’s Day – Romeo And Juliet
The most famous lovers of all time are surely Romeo and Juliet. These two characters were born of the pen of William Shakespeare at the end of the 16th century. Despite the decades and centuries that have passed, the city of Verona, in Italy, where the two lovers lived in the play, receives thousands of letters addressed to Juliet every year.
Valentine’s Day – Marriage Proposals
Popping the big question on Valentine’s Day isn’t terribly original. It’s pretty romantic, but choosing that particular day seems a bit too planned and obvious. And don’t think you’re the only one who’s thought of it! There are around 220,000 marriage proposals on Valentine’s Day each year in the United States. What would happen if you waited until February 15?
Valentine’s Day – From Me To Me
No one to get you anything? Take heart, at least you won’t get a terrible gift. Here’s a practical solution—buy yourself a gift “from me to me.” It seems like 15% of American women send flowers to themselves on Valentine’s Day. Ask your florist for a special bouquet and wait impatiently for the delivery. Take your happiness into your own hands—that’s the key!
Wishing you a life filled with love today, tomorrow and for the rest of your days.
