Valentine’s Day or February 14 is especially popular in the world. On this day, couples in love give each other gifts, arrange romantic dinners and even organize weddings. In addition, this is a great option for declaring your love with the help of valentines. Next, we suggest reading more interesting and facts about Valentine’s Day or February 14th.
Interesting facts about Valentine’s Day
1. Valentines are the most popular holiday card after Christmas, according to the United States Greeting Card Association.
2. The British believe that from February 14, nature turns to spring, and the mating season begins for birds, even an old English proverb says: “On St. Valentine’s Day, all the birds in the air pair up.”
3. The legend of the secret wedding. In the late Middle Ages in France and England, the life of St. Valentine was surrounded by legends associated with the secret wedding of couples in love. According to legend, in those distant and dark times, the imperious and cruel Roman emperor Claudius II got into his head that a single man – without a family, wife and obligations, fights better for his homeland on the military battlefield, and forbade men to marry, and women and girls – to marry the men you love. And St. Valentine was an ordinary priest who sympathized with unfortunate lovers and secretly from everyone, under cover of night, consecrated the marriage of loving men and women.
4. The first Valentine was written by the martyr Valentine himself. When the “tricks” of the priest Valentine became known, the authorities threw him into prison, sentenced to death. In prison, Saint Valentine met the warden’s beautiful daughter, Julia. The priest in love cured the girl of blindness before his death and wrote her a declaration of love – a valentine, and the execution itself took place on February 14, 269 AD.
5. In Italy, this day is considered “sweet”. After all, it is on this day that all Italians give sweets to their beloved. The gallant French were the first to introduce love messages – quatrains.
6. In Finland and Estonia this day is called Friends Day. In addition to the fact that the holiday is celebrated by lovers, just friends (regardless of gender) give each other greeting cards and so on.
7. In Japan, they hold a competition for the loudest love message. Boys and girls rise to the platform and take turns shouting with all their might – whatever they want – to their beloved. The winner receives a prize.
8. The English also send love messages to their animals, especially dogs and horses.
9. In America, 108 million roses are sold these days, mostly red ones, and 692 million dollars are spent on candy these days!
10. A significant part of the “valentines” are anonymous and without a return address, written with the left hand or from right to left, which makes the message mysterious. But after the holiday, work is added to private detectives: they receive a lot of orders to identify the senders of “valentines”.
List of 100 Interesting Facts About Valentine’s Day
1. It is customary to celebrate Valentine’s Day all over the world on February 14th.
2. In honor of the martyr Valentine, this holiday was named.
3. During the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius, Valentine was a priest.
4. Since 1777, this day has been widely celebrated in the USA.
5. Since the 13th century, this day has been widely celebrated in Western Europe.
6. This holiday is secular in Russia.
7. Over 50,000,000 roses are sold around the world on Valentine’s Day.
8. On this day, more than 9,000,000 people in the world buy gifts for their pets.
9. Candy and chocolate are considered the most popular gifts on this day.
10. Men’s holiday in Japan was the day of February 14th.
11. In Saudi Arabia and Iran, it is forbidden to celebrate this holiday.
12. The tradition of celebrating this holiday originates from middle England.
13. Postcards are second in popularity after Christmas cards.
14. On February 14, 1929, rival enemies of Al Capone were shot dead.
15. Women spend half as much on gifts on this day than men.
16. Sales of condoms are high on this particular day.
17. Duke Charles of Orleans created the first Valentine in 1415.
18. Pigeons are officially considered a symbol of Valentine’s Day.
19. Computer Day is also celebrated on February 14th.
20. Sales of contraceptives increase by 25% on this day.
21. In 2001, the record for the largest number of marriages was set.
22. Mental Health Day is celebrated by the Germans on this day.
23. More than 75% of suicides on this day are due to unhappy love.
24. Once upon a time, lovers exchanged cards decorated with gold on this day.
25. This day is called sweet in Italy.
26. February 14 is Women’s Day in Finland.
27. In France, for the first time, a tradition arose to give poetry on this day.
28. In England, gifts are also given to pets on this day.
29. Handmade gifts are especially appreciated on this day.
30. February 14 was declared Valentine’s Day by Pope Gelasius around 498 BC.
31. More than 53% of women leave their men if they come to them without gifts.
32. Richard Cadbury introduced the first box of chocolate on this day in 1868.
33. On this holiday, 15% of women give themselves flowers.
34. About 1 billion cards are sent on this day every year.
35. 85% of all valentines are bought by women.
36. 39% of all sweets are given to children on this day.
37. In Japan, it is customary to give sweets, underwear and jewelry on this day.
38. The sale of pregnancy tests in pharmacies is increasing on this day.
39. Flowers given on this day have different meanings.
40. “Bird’s wedding” was called this day in the Middle Ages.
41. In Switzerland, in 2011, the world’s largest chocolate bar was made, designed specifically for this holiday.
42. The world’s first Valentine’s card is kept in the British Museum.
43. In Germany, it is customary on this day to plant an onion in a pot with the name of a loved one written on it.
44. Italian navigator James Cook died in the Hawaiian Islands in 1779.
45. The United States got Texas on this day in 1848.
46. Oregon became the 33rd state of the United States in 1859.
47. A third of the seats in the local Sejm were won by Ukrainians in the elections in Galicia in 1914.
48. Soviet Russia switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1918.
49. One of the first computers was introduced on this day in 1946.
50. The 20th Congress of the CPSU opened in Moscow in 1956.
51. On this day, rock and roll music was banned in Iran in 1958.
52. Automatic station “Luna-20” launched to the moon in 1972.
53. In Dublin in 1981, 48 people died that day in a fire.
54. Elton John married Renate Blauel on this day in 1984.
55. “Declaration on the principles of cooperation” was adopted in Minsk in 1992.
56. Russia and Ukraine established diplomatic relations in 1992.
57. The fundamentals of Ukrainian cultural legislation were approved on 14 February 1992.
58. In 1993 Hungary, Poland and Ukraine signed the Treaty on Cooperation between Peoples.
59. On this day in 1998, movie star Sharon Stone married Phil Bronstein, editor of the San Francisco Examiner.
60. Cloned sheep Dolly died in 2003.
61. 28 people died in Moscow’s Transvaal Park in 2004.
62. Unmarried English girls take this holiday very seriously and responsibly.
63. Every year about 1000 postcards come to the name of Juliet.
64. The oldest love poem was written in 3500 BC.
65. The favorite flower of the Goddess of Love was the red rose.
66. It is customary to give wooden spoons with hearts on February 14 in Wales.
67. Traditionally in America, pilgrims sent a variety of sweets as a gift.
68. Two times less than men spend money on women’s gifts.
69. March is considered the month of pregnancy tests.
70. Flower shops earn huge sums on this day.
71. Heart-shaped sweets were the first gifts on this day.
72. Saint Valentine was the patron saint of mentally ill people.
73. In the 15th century, the first valentines appeared in France.
74. The Roman god of love Cupid is the symbol of this holiday.
75. Since the beginning of the 90s of the last century, this holiday has been celebrated in Russia.
76. It is customary to give hearts from any materials on this day.
77. In England, February 14 is considered the beginning of the mating season for birds.
78. Once in the US, one holiday card cost as much as 10 dollars.
79. On this day, the Germans decorate psychiatric hospitals with bright ribbons.
80. It is customary to give jewelry on this day in France.
81. Poles visit the relics of St. Valentine on this day.
82. It is customary to give dried white flowers on this day in Denmark.
83. This holiday has been celebrated in Western Europe since the 13th century.
84. Since the 1930s, this holiday has been celebrated in Japan.
85. All females are given hearts in Finland.
86. Diamonds Diamonds are considered the best gift for February 14th.
87. Only 75% of men buy flowers on this day.
88. The origin of this holiday is based on the legend of St. Valentine.
89. On this day, the feast of fertility was once celebrated.
90. Passionate Spaniards send love letters on this day with carrier pigeons.
91. 50% of all valentines are bought 6 days before the holiday.
92. Valentine is the second most popular gift among all.
93. A large number of wedding ceremonies take place on this day.
94. Durex increases its sales by 30% on this day.
95. The symbol of Valentine’s Day is a red heart.
96. About 189 million roses are sold that day in America.
97. After Christmas, this holiday ranks second in terms of the number of cards sold.
98. In Mexico City in 2010, a record was set for the most massive kiss in the world.
99. For the first time in 1936, the Japanese got acquainted with this holiday.
100. In the Middle Ages, doves were often depicted on valentines.
Interestingly, it was children who started the tradition of celebrating Valentine’s Day in America. I remember that about fifteen years ago, on February 14, mass production of notebook sheets began in all schools – turning them into hearts, painted with red felt-tip pens, and writing love poems (well, or poems). And with bated breath it was expected whether the valentine would come from HIM …
And of course, our parents quickly felt this romance and adopted it. On this day, mothers went to some mysteriously beautiful ones and baked cakes, and dads rushed to flower shops after work. And until now, having become mothers and fathers ourselves, we support this tradition. It’s so great when flowers, sweets, “valentines” and, of course, LOVE appear in the middle of a cold winter!
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