Little Known Facts About Valentine’s Day
February 14th is probably the sweetest day of the year—and we’re not only talking about sugary candy hearts and boxes full of chocolate truffles. Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate all kinds of love and appreciation with friends and family. A party, special baked goods, or a beautiful handmade Valentine’s Day card are all great ways to show your kids, grandkids, and friends the importance of friendship and love.
This year why not add a fun twist with a few little-known facts? You can either include a fun fact inside a card, or turn it into a party game while you’re decorating cupcakes.
The History of Valentine’s Day
- Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone on February 14th, 1876.
- Cupid, the little cherub that shoots love arrows on Valentine’s Day, is the son of the Roman god of love and beauty, Venus (whose favourite flower was a red rose).
- England’s King Henry VIII declared February 14th an official holiday in 1537.
- In the 1800s, chocolate was considered a cure to calm medical patients’ pining for lost love.
- To find their Valentine during the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl and wear the name on their sleeves for one week, coining the expression "wear your heart on your sleeve."
Traditions Around the World
- The U.S., Canada, Mexico, France, Australia and the U.K. are the only countries that celebrate Valentine’s Day. If you have friends or family living there, send a Valentine overseas!
- In the Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet takes place, about 1,000 letters arrive every Valentine’s Day addressed to Juliet.
Gifts
- Teachers will receive the most Valentine’s Day cards every year. Next comes, children, mothers, wives, and significant others.
- About 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year. Only Christmas tops that number.
- About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets.
- Richard Cadbury made the first box of chocolates for Valentine's Day in the late 1800s.
- 12.8 million stems of roses, making more than one million bouquets of a dozen, were produced in Canada in 2009.
- $2.8 billion worth of jewellery and watches were sold at Canadian retailers in 2009.
Do you know any Valentine's traditions, myths or facts? Share them in the Comments section below.
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Related links:
Valentine's Day By the Numbers
Explore the History of Valentine's Day
How to be a Sweetheart at Any Age
Experiencing Love in Later Years
