Valentine's Day Trivia

There is much more to Valentine's Day then giving red roses to your loved one. Did you know all this?

Valentine's Day is the 2nd Highest Card Sending Holiday
The greeting card association estimates that approximately one billion Valentine's are sent annually world-wide, making it the second highest card sending holiday, behind Christmas.

Married Valentine's
During the mid-17th century, even married took a Valentine and that person was not always their legal 'other half'.

Meaning of the Word Valentine
The name Valentine comes from the Latin word valor, meaning worthy.

Name for Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day was named for two men, both Christian martyrs named Valentine who were associated with romantic love in the middle ages.

Official Holiday
St. Valentine's Day was declared an official holiday in 1537 when England's King Henry VIII declared it for the first time.

Unmarried Valentine's
In the Middle Ages, people believed that the first unmarried person of the opposite sex that they met on the morning of Valentine's Day was the person they were destined to marry.

Unusual Foods
In Medieval times, girls ate unusual foods on St Valentine's Day to make them dream of their future husband.

Valentine Birds
February 14th was long associated with fertility and love even before St. Valentine lived. It was the day that birds traditionally chose their mates.

Valentine Celtic Wooden Spoons
The ancient celtic tradition of giving hand carved wooden love spoons as Valentine's gifts began in Wales. Often, hearts, keys, and keyholes, symbolizing that the receiver unlocked the giver's heart, were carved as decoration on the spoon. Here are some samples of celtic wooden spoons.

Valentine Love Messages
Elaborate handmade love messages, cards and gifts for Valentine's Day became popular during the 17th century.

Valentine Pagan Fertility Festival
The Romans introduced a pagan fertility festival in England that was held every February 14th. After the Romans left the country, Pop Gelsius, who established St. Valentine's Day as a celebration of love in 496 A.D, abolished the pagan festival.

Valentine Robins Overhead
It was believed that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor.

Valentine's Day Cards
Valentine's Day is not just for lovers anymore. More than 190 Valentine's Day cards are bought every year, including cards for friends, family, and lovers. If you add in the Valentine's that children exchange in class, that number increases to over 1 billion Valentine's per year.

Valentine's Day Gift Spending
Consumers spend an average of over $75 on Valentine's Day gifts, the most popular being chocolates, food, wine, and flowers.

Women Card Buyers
The greeting card association estimates that 85% of all Valentine cards are purchased by women.