Fun Valentine's Day Facts

Here's some Valentine Day's trivia to start your day - did you know that:

Valentine's Day was once a Saint's Day named after two (or three, depending on whom you believe) different martyred priests all called Valentinus (which was a common Roman name).  Some legends also claim a priest named Valentinus performed illegal christian marriages when Rome was in power.

An estimated 1 billion Valentine cards are sent each year--about  half as many the number of Christmas cards.

Women purchase 85% of all Valentine cards.

The  Shakespearean "Hamlet" mentions Valentine's Day.  Ophelia sings, "Good morrow! 'Tis St. Valeintine's Day; All in the morning betime; And I a maid at your window; To be your Valentine."

Esther A. Howard is known as the 'Mother of the Valentine' because she's the first person to begin selling mass-produced Valentine's Day cards (made with real lace) in the 1840s during Queen Victoria's reign. No, Hallmark didn't invent them!

The flower industry makes most of their total annual revenues from Valentine's Day-- an average of 110 million roses are delivered (and approximately 15% of US women buy flowers for themselves on Valentine's Day.) 

53% of American women said they would dump their current boyfriend if they didn't receive a Valentine's Day gift from him.

73% of all Valentine's flowers are purchased by men. Yet most women surveyed would rather have chocolate that flowers from their sweetheart.

Teachers--not wives or girlfriends--receive the most Valentine's cards each year. In fact, the majority of the Valentine's Day cards are not sent to lovers--parents, grandparents and friends receive them, too.

In the Middle Ages, men and women drew names from a bowl for their Valentines and then had to wear that name tag for one week. This is the origin of the phrase "'wearing your heart on your sleeve."

It is estimated that 3% of pet owners lavish their pets with loving Valentine's  Day gifts. (I'm not one of
them :-)

Have a great Valentine's Day!