Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Whether you’re steadfastly single or joyfully coupled up, chances are you have a thing or two to learn about love. Why are red roses so popular? How many candy hearts are produced every year? And most important, how many single men are actually out there? Read on for surprising stats and unexpected info about the holiday:
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The theory about the origin of Valentine’s Day has some pretty dark roots. Historians believe that the day derives from a raucous Roman festival where men stripped naked and spanked young maidens in hopes of upping their fertility. So romantic…not.
According to the Greeting Card Association, 190 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second most popular greeting card–giving occasion, after Christmas.
Statistically speaking, there are 119 single men — never married, widowed or divorced — in their 20s for every 100 single women of the same age.
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Over two million marriages take place around the world every year. That means there are more than 6,000 nuptials a day!
Followed by chocolate and then jewelry. Americans alone will send more than 220 million roses each year, and as many as six million couples will get engaged on February 14. Fun fact: February is the second most popular month after December for proposals.
The favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love? The red rose, of course. The bud stands for strong romantic feelings, so it’s no surprise they make up the most popular Valentine’s Day bouquets.
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In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names to see who their Valentine would be. They would wear the name pinned to their sleeve for one week so that everyone would know their supposed true feelings.
The average consumer spent around $102 on Valentine’s Day gifts, meals and entertainment in 2009. Roughly 92 percent of married couples with children will spend most of that money (about $67) on their spouse; the rest goes to Valentine’s Day gifts for kids, friends, coworkers and even pets.
Sales are almost 20 to 30 percent higher around Valentine’s Day. And maybe not so surprisingly, more at-home pregnancy tests are sold in March than any other month. February really is the month for love then isn’t it?
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The first Valentine’s Day box of chocolates was introduced by Richard Cadbury in 1868. Today, more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are sold each year. That’s 58 million pounds of chocolate.
It comes from the Latin lacques, which means to snare or to net, as in catch a person’s heart. In the Victorian era, a young lady who saw an attractive man and might want to catch his heart would drop her handkerchief beside him in the hope that he would pick it up, give it back to her, look deep into her eyes and fall in love immediately.
According to the National Confectioners Association, about eight billion candy hearts were made in 2009 alone. Each box has approximately 45 sayings — including “True Love,” “Hug Me,” and “You Rock” but you can personalize your own, too, and about 10 new sayings are added each year.
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In fact, he might have been two or three. But the most common “founder” of Valentine’s Day was the Saint Valentine who defied Emperor Claudius II. At the time, Claudius had banned marriage because he thought it distracted young soldiers. Valentine felt a bit differently — he illegally married couples until he was caught and sentenced to death. The day he died? February 14!