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.
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There are at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred, recognized by the Catholic Church.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The first valentines were sent during the 15th century. However, people didn’t start exchanging cards and letters until the 17th century.
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Today 55% of Americans celebrate Valentine’s Day. They spend an estimated $18.2 billion, spending about $1.7 billion on just candy.
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Americans send 141 million Valentine’s Day cards each year. That is more than any other holiday, except for Christmas.
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Flowers are the most popular gift on Valentine’s Day. Americans send more than 220 million roses each year.
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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.
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Conversation hearts were invented in 1866. Each box has about 45 different sayings, and 10 new ones are added each year.
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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.
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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.
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The average number of wedding proposals on this day is 220,000. It is the second most popular season for proposals after Christmastime.
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Every year, the city of Verona in Italy, where Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet lived, receives 100,000 letters addressed to Juliet.
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!