Valentine’s Day is a multi-billion dollar event with lovers spending an average of $130 on their sweethearts. While some women received stuffed animals holding red hearts, others open cards to reveal a trip to Paris from their beloved; Americans love to give gifts on Valentine’s Day, much to retailers’ glee. There is much historical and statistical data associated with giving on this day for lovers that is fun to share.
Valentine’s Day Flowers Trivia
- Most of the roses sold on Valentine’s Day are grown in South America, even though California grows 60 percent of American roses.
- Over 100 million red roses are sold and delivered within three days of February 14th.
- The most preferred choice of Valentine’s Day flowers is one single, perfect red rose framed with baby’s breath.
- Approximately 15% of women in the United States will send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day this year.
- Three quarters of the people who buy flowers as Valentine’s gifts are men. 27% of women give flowers as a gift.
Tidbits About Valentine Cards
- Hallmark produces over 1300 cards for Valentine’s Day
- More than 650 million Valentine’s Day cards are received by teachers, classmates and family from children ages six to ten.
- Esther Howland was the first American printer of Valentine cards. During the 1870s, they cost from five to 35 dollars. Automation finally brought the price down so the lower classes could afford them.
- About 1,000 letters are received in the Italian city of Verona where Romeo and Juliet lived, with the letters addressed to Juliet.
- The oldest Valentine card was sent by the Duke of Orleans to his wife from the Tower of London in 1415 A.D. where he was imprisoned. It still exists and is on display at a museum in England.
- It was considered bad luck to sign a Valentine’s Day card during the Victorian era.
History and Stats About Valentine Candy
- Forty percent of the world’s almonds and 20% of the world’s peanuts are used by chocolate manufacturers for Valentine’s Day Candy.
- When the pilgrims landed in America, sugar was a rare commodity and so confections such as marzipan, sugar plums and other delicious sweets were considered special gifts to receive.
- Over 35 million red, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold this year.
- Men claim to prefer to received chocolates as a Valentine’s gift; women prefer dinner.
- About eight billion candy hearts are made for Valentine’s Day each year.
- Since the Aztec empire, chocolate has been considered an aphrodisiac used in the pursuit of love.
- Casanova, who enjoyed the title of “The World’s Greatest Lover,” ate chocolate to make him virile.
Trivia About Valentine Gifts
- The Taj Mahal in India is considered the most fantastic gift of love ever given. Built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan as a memorial to his wife to died in childbirth, it took 20,000 workers from India and Central Asia 22 years to complete.
- Approximately three percent of pet owners give Valentine’s Day gifts to their dogs and cats.
- Online Valentine’s Day sales will tally over $650 million from purchases of food, candy, flowers and gifts. Of that amount, $45 million will be spent on food, chocolate and wine.
Historical Valentine Trivia
- Valentine’s Day is only celebrated in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, India, Russia, Australia and the United Kingdom.
- England’s King Henry VIII declared Valentine’s Day a holiday in 1537.
- In the 17th century, it was thought that eating a hard-boiled egg and pinning five bay leaves to the pillow each night would cause a fair maiden to dream of her future husband.
- Many couples take or renew their wedding vows atop the Empire State Building in New York City due in large part to the romantic comedy, Sleepless in Seattle.
- The old saying, “To wear your heart on your sleeve” comes from the Middle ages when young men and women drew a name from a bowl to see who their Valentine would be, and pinned it on their sleeves for one week.
- The telephone was patented by Alexander Graham Bell on February 14, 1876.
- Poor Captain James Cook, the English explorer, was murdered on Valentine’s Day in 1779 by Hawaiian natives. It was his third visit to the Pacific islands.
- Sir Alexander Fleming introduced penicillin to the scientific community on Valentine’s Day 1929.
Make your sweetheart a delightful dinner this Valentine’s Day, and share the trivia while you munch on the chocolates or inhale the scent of roses.