Get in the mood for love with interesting facts about the sweetest holiday.
Get in the mood for love with interesting facts
about the sweetest holiday by Kathleen Davis Why are red roses so
popular? How many candy hearts are produced every year? And most
important, how many single men are actually out there? Love it or hate
it, Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Whether you're
steadfastly single or joyfully coupled up, chances are you have a thing
or two to learn about love. Read on for surprising stats and unexpected
info about the holiday.
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1. Valentine's Day started with the Romans.
There
are two theories about the origin of Valentine's Day. The first is that
the day derives from Lupercalia, a raucous Roman festival on February
15 where men stripped naked and spanked young maidens in hopes of upping
their fertility. The second theory is that while the Roman Emperor
Claudius II was trying to bolster his army, he forbade young men to
marry (apparently single men make better soldiers). In the spirit of
love, St. Valentine defied the ban and performed secret marriages. For
his disobedience, Valentine was executed on February 14.
2. The heart shape wasn't always a romantic symbol.
Prior
to the 14th century, the shape we call a heart symbolized the
anatomical heart, widely believed to be humans' center of memory,
according to Time.
It wasn't until Italian and French artists began championing the idea
of romantic love that the St. Valentine heart became synonymous with
love.
3. Experiential gifts are on the rise.
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4. It's not the most popular holiday for greeting cards.
According
to the Greeting Card Association, 190 million Valentine's Day cards are
exchanged annually, making Valentine's Day the second most popular
greeting card–giving occasion, after Christmas.
5. Single ladies have a good shot at finding a date.
There are 119 single men—never married, widowed or divorced—in their 20s for every 100 single women of the same age.
6. True love is apparently not that hard to find.
Over two million marriages take place in the United States every year. That means there are more than 6,000 a day!
7. Husbands and boyfriends like to give bouquets.
Men account for 73 percent of Valentine's Day flower sales.
8. Roses are the flowers of love.
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9. "Wearing your heart on your sleeve" is more than just a phrase.
In
the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names to see who their
Valentine would be. They would wear the name pinned to their sleeve for
one week so that everyone would know their supposed true feelings.
10. Money can buy love.
The average U.S. consumer spent around $146.84 on Valentine's Day gifts, meals and entertainment in 2016, according to an annual U.S. National Retail Federation survey.
Roughly 92 percent of married Americans with children will spend most
of that money on their spouse; the rest goes to Valentine's Day gifts
for kids, friends, coworkers and even pets.
11. Americans have a serious sweet tooth.
According to the National Confectioners Association, about eight billion candy hearts were made in 2009.
12. The chocolate box has been around for more than 140 years.
The first Valentine's Day box of chocolates was introduced by Richard Cadbury in 1868.
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