Valentine’s day is celebrated every year. But do you know where Valentine’s day came from? How it became so popular? Was it always about love and good feelings? From its bloody origins to its sweet, chocolaty modern day traditions, these are 25 interesting facts you didn’t know about Valentine’s Day.
The most popular theory about Valentine's Day's origin is that Emperor Claudius II didn't want Roman men to marry during wartime. Bishop Valentine went against his wishes and performed secret weddings. For this, Valentine was jailed and executed. While in jail he wrote a note to the jailer's daughter signing it "from your Valentine."
In Victorian times, it was considered bad luck to sign a Valentine’s Day card.
Based on retail statistics, about 3% of pet owners will give gifts to their pets on this day.
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About 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year. This makes it the second largest seasonal card sending time of the year.
If you’re single, don’t despair. You can celebrate Singles Awareness Day (SAD) instead.
Meant as an alternative to Valentine’s Day, the holiday is for single people to celebrate or to commiserate in their single status.
You could also pop over to Finland where Valentine’s Day is called Ystävänpäivä, which translates into “Friend’s day.” It's more about remembering your buddies than your loved ones.
Many believe the X symbol became synonymous with the kiss in medieval times. People who couldn't write their names signed in front of a witness with an X. The X was then kissed to show their sincerity.
Girls of medieval times ate bizarre foods on this day to make them dream of their future spouse.
In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine. They would wear this name pinned onto their sleeves for one week for everyone to see. This was the origin of the expression "to wear your heart on your sleeve."
In 1537, England's King Henry VII officially declared Feb. 14 the holiday of St. Valentine's Day.
Physicians of the 1800s commonly advised their patients to eat chocolate to calm their pining for lost love.
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