Valentine’s Day Trivia | 70 facts about the most romantic time of the year

Valentine’s Day is the most romantic day of the year dedicated to love making it is one of the most special days for people who are in love!

Let’s find out more about the day that we celebrate love!

Valentine’s Day is also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine.
It is a secular and religious holiday celebrated annually on February 14
It originated as a Western Christian feast day honoring one or two early saints named Valentinus
Valentine’s Day is recognized as a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and romantic love in many regions around the world
It is not a public holiday in any country.
There are numerous martyrdom stories associated with various Valentines connected to February 14
These include a written account of Saint Valentine.
He was imprisonned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry
And for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire
According to legend, Saint Valentine restored sight to the blind daughter of his judge. He wrote her a letter signed “Your Valentine” as a farewell.
The day first became associated with romantic love within the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century.
When the tradition of courtly love flourished.
In 18th-century England, it grew into an occasion in which couples expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers
They were also offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards
They were known as “valentines”
Valentine’s Day symbols that are used today include the heart- shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid
Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards
In Europe, Saint Valentine’s Keys are given to lovers “as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver’s heart”
Saint Valentine’s Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion, and the Lutheran Church.
Many parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day on July 6 and July 30.
The former date in honor of Roman presbyter Saint Valentine
The latter date in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, who was the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni)
It is forbidenn in many countries of the East due to religious traditions
More than 2 million roses are sold each year.
It is one of the most commercial holidays.
Many parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day on July 6 in honor of Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and on July 30 in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna.
While the European folk traditions connected with Saint Valentine and St. Valentine’s Day have become marginalized by the modern Anglo-American customs connecting the day with romantic love, there are some remaining associations connecting the saint with the advent of spring
While the custom of sending cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts originated in the UK, Valentine’s Day still remains connected with various regional customs in England
In Norfolk, a character called ‘Jack’ Valentine knocks on the rear door of houses leaving sweets and presents for children
Although he was leaving treats, many children were scared of this mystical person
In Slovenia, Saint Valentine or Zdravko was one of the saints of spring, the saint of good health and the patron of beekeepers and pilgrims
A proverb says that “Saint Valentine brings the keys of roots”. Plants and flowers start to grow on this day
It has been celebrated as the day when the first work in the vineyards and in the fields commences
It is also said that birds propose to each other or marry on that day.
Another proverb says “Valentin – prvi spomladin” (“Valentine – the first spring saint”), as in some places (especially White Carniola), Saint Valentine marks the beginning of spring
Valentine’s Day has only recently been celebrated as the day of love.
The day of love was traditionally March 12, the Saint Gregory’s day, or February 22, Saint Vincent’s Day
The patron of love was Saint Anthony, whose day has been celebrated on June 13
Valentine’s Day customs – sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”), offering confectionary and presenting flowers – developed in early modern England
They spread throughout the English-speaking world in the 19th century
In the later 20th and early 21st centuries, these customs spread to other countries, like those of Halloween, or than aspects of Christmas, (such as Santa Claus)
Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many East Asian countries with Singaporeans, Chinese and South Koreans spending the most money on Valentine’s gifts.
In the United States, about 190 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year.
This doesn’t include the hundreds of millions of cards school children exchange
Valentine’s Day is a major source of economic activity, with total expenditures in 2017 topping $18.2 billion in 2017, or over $136 per person.
This is an increase from $108 per person in 2010.
In the Eastern Orthodox church there is another Saint who protects people who are in love, Hyacinth of Caesarea (feast day July 3), but this was not widely known until the late 1990s.
In Denmark and Norway, February 14 is known as Valentinsdag, and is celebrated in much the same manner as in the United Kingdom.
In Sweden it is called Alla hjärtans dag (“All Hearts’ Day”) but is not widely celebrated.
A 2016 survey revealed that less than 50% of men and women were planning to buy presents for their partners.
The holiday was first introduced in Spain through a 1948 advertisement campaign by the department store chain Galerías Preciados, and had become widespread by the 1970s. Known as “San Valentín”, the holiday is celebrated the same way as in the rest of the West.
The celebration of Valentine’s Day has been banned in Indonesia, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia due to beliefs the holiday conflicts with Islamic culture.
Since 2009, certain practices pertaining to Valentine’s Day (such as giving flowers, cards, or other gifts suggestive of Valentine’s Day) are banned in Iran. Iran’s Law Enforcement Force prosecutes distributors of goods with symbols associated with Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day was also celebrated as “Cow Hug Day” by some people in India.
It was first proposed by Animal Welfare Body on February 6 to celebrate February 14 as “cow hug day” in view of the “immense benefits of the cow”. “Hugging with cow will bring emotional richness hence will increase our individual and collective happiness.
Therefore, all cow lovers may also celebrate February 14 as Cow Hug day keeping in mind the importance of mother cow and make life happy and full of positive energy,” it said. The appeal to recognise the day, however, was later withdrawn.
For Valentine’s Day in 2018, the British Heart Foundation broke the world record for the longest chain of paper hearts.
Saint Valentine is the patron saint for a large part of the Lebanese population. Couples take the opportunity of Valentine’s feast day to exchange sweet words and gifts as proof of love. Such gifts typically include boxes of chocolates, cupcakes, and red roses, which are considered the emblem of sacrifice and passion
Around 3 in 10 Americans will go into credit card debt from Valentine’s day spending
35% of consumers will shop online for their gifts.
Around 224 million roses are grown specifically for Valentine’s Day
Roughly 6 million people get engaged on Valentine’s Day.
The iconic symbol of love, Cupid is depicted as a sweet cherub who plays a matchmaker and is the star of many Valentine’s Day celebrations. The character of cupid was actually inspired by the Greek god Eros, who had the ability to make two people fall in love. But by the 4th century, the idea of Eros had morphed into the Cupid we know today.
“Booklets” were created in the 1800s to help people write Valentine’s Day cards.
The booklets served as writer’s guides for those who celebrated the Valentine’s Day back in the 19th century. They contained sample text for those who intented to write love letters.
The famous heart-shaped chocolate box–first came to be in the 1860s.
It was an advertising tactic used by Richard Cadbury, who first came up with the idea to boost sales of the product.
Mixtapes are the least popular Valentine’s day gift, with only 13% of people expressing interest.
A recent poll found that children were more likely to receive gifts for the holiday than the significant others.
There’s only a 2% raise in online dating app downloads around Valentine’s Day