Valentine’s Day is one of the most romantic days of the year, but what if you had more than just roses to tell your special someone how much they mean to you? How about telling them some interesting facts about St. Valentine? Or maybe even some stuff that probably makes them think “wow-what a dork?”
There’re many legends and stories surrounding the history of the holiday and some claim that Valentine’s Day is a pagan holiday, while some say it started with a Christian martyr.
The history of Valentine’s day has shroud in mystery for centuries. We at Free Fun Times have found 10 facts about St. Valentine’s day you probably didn’t know:
1. St. Valentine wasn’t just one person.
This holiday is associate with one person-St. Valentine, and the stories about him sending love notes and messages to young couples or children in order to aid their romantic pursuits. However, believes that 3 Marty saints by the name of Valentinus exist during this time period, which make highly unlikely that all these legends can trace back to just one man.
2. In the 1300s, it officially became a holiday associated with love.
The date of February 14 is traditionally observe in Europe as St. Valentine’s Day, though it wasn’t until the Middle Ages that this holiday became associated with love and romance. The happens because birds were believes to start their mating season on these days during previous centuries; however recent research shows no scientific proof for why people choose one particular day over another when bird species typically mate annually (or even just once).
3. Valentine’s Day inspired Shakespeare.
The Bard is known for his romantic sonnets and plays-and we can thank the holiday of love for that inspiration. In fact, many of his famous sonnets such as “I compare thee to a summer’s day” or “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,” are said to have write about unrequited love in connection with Valentine’s Day.
4. The language of flowers matters when it comes to sending messages on Valentine’s day.
Blooming plants and fragrant blossoms are held more than just beauty: in past centuries, This is believe by some that each flower held symbolic meaning and could be used to send secret messages between couples who were apart from one another. With this in mind, sending your loved ones a bouquet or a couple of Valentine’s Day Gifts could be the perfect way to give them an extra sweet message for Valentine’s Day.
5. The first Valentine’s cards sent in the 1700s.
The first valentine card is actually sent way back in the 1700s! Back then, it is called a “puzzle” because you had to decode the secret message inside before reading it. This tradition is still alive today-just look at your typical Hallmark card and you’ll see that love notes typically come with one or more puzzles for the recipient to solve (and hopefully enjoy!).
6. Today, Americans spend a lot on love.
Valentine’s Day is an important tradition for many people around the world, including Americans. In fact, it accounts for $17 billion of consumer spending in this country each year-that’s a lot of chocolate and heart shaped boxes!
7. St. Valentine was not actually Christian.
St. Valentine is not known to be part of the New Testament or to ties with early Christians; rather he is considered by some to be associate with the Roman Empire (and thus paganism) because his name “Valentinus” comes from Latin roots that translate into “good health.” Despite this historical inaccuracy, the Catholic Church still honors him as one of their patron saints for love due to his reputation of sending notes between young lovers.
8. Valentine’s Day has origins with ancient Roman traditions.
Though most people today think of Valentine’s Day as a Christian tradition, its roots actually date back to pagan celebrations in Rome during the middle of February several centuries ago. It is held at the Lupercalia Festival (i.e., Lupercal is where many believe Romulus and Remus were suckled by a she-wolf), which celebrate fertility with the mating season for farm animals typically occurring at that time of year.
9. Roses are extremely expensive on Valentine’s day!
It may be consider acceptable now to send your beloved bouquets of roses for Valentine’s day, but it can really add up-in fact, these flowers are among the most expensive on the holiday! The causes for this demand are likely due to two major reasons. First, roses are relatively fragile and require careful transporting (especially if they’re import). Second, many growers report that on Valentine’s day their flowers can be up to four times more valuable than their typical selling price.
10. Americans send 145 million Valentine’s Day cards each year.
With love exchange heartfelt Valentine Day messages and greetings. It is no wonder why over 145 million cards get sent out on this holiday. That’s a lot of happy mail!
11. On average, men spend more than women on gifts for Valentine’s day.
Although women typically still spend more money overall on their significant others during the holiday season in general compared to men. The tables turn when it comes to Valentine’s Day presents. Data shows that men tend to spend significantly more than their female counterparts (on average $165 vs. $123).
Conclusion
Valentine’s Day has many of its roots in ancient Roman tradition. But it is still a very popular celebration of love today. From sending extravagant bouquets to spending more on gifts that their significant others. People from around the world will continue to celebrate this holiday with passion. And excitement-just like they did all those years ago!