When many people think of Valentine's Day they think of roses, cards, and chocolate all covered in red and pink, but there are many other fascinating parts of Valentine's Day. This article will discuss several interesting facts about Valentine's Day.
1. Romeo and Juliet is probably the most famous of all love stories. On Valentine's Day the town of Verona "receives about 1,000 letters every year sent to Juliet" (A.,2007).
2. Valentine's Day is a day of love and affection, but it may have started in an usual way. It is believed that Emperor Claudius II ordered his soldiers to not get married because he believed it impacted their ability to fight, but a priest named Valentine conducted secret weddings anyway. It is amazing that outlawing marriage could start a holiday about love.
3. It is also believed that the origin of referring to someone as your valentine came from a letter the priest named Valentine wrote to a woman he had fallen in love with. After Claudius realized what Valentine had done he order him to be executed. While he was in jail he fell in love and wrote his amore a love letter that was signed, "From Your Valentine".
4. Wearing your heart on your sleeve is a common phrase, but it originated because of Valentine's Day. In the middle ages young men and women drew names from a hat to choose who would be their valentine that year, and they would pin the name to their sleeve to show their feelings.
5. During Valentine's Day "around 1 billion cards" are sent across the U.S. (A., 2007).
6. Valentine's Day may have its name because of a saint, but it has long had links to love and fertility. February 14th is the traditional day in nature when bird choose their mates.
7. On the 15th of February the Romans would hold a lottery where the winner would choose their woman.
8. In the Middle Ages it was believed that the first person you met on Valentine's Day would be your future significant other.
9. You may think mothers or significant others are the recipients of the most Valentine's Day cards, but teachers actually receive the most valentines.
10. Children from the age of 6-10 are will give and receive more than 650 million Valentine's Day cards.
11. The rose is the traditional flower of Valentine's Day, and it signifies romance and passion. The rose was also the flower associated with the Roman goddess known as Venus.
12. Cupid is another famous symbol of this holiday, and he is always shown with his bow and arrow. Cupid was the son of the goddess of love, and if you were shot with his arrow you would automatically fall in love with the next person you saw.
13. During the Medieval times young girls would traditionally eat strange and sometimes bizarre foods; this was said to cause them to dream of their future husbands at night.
14. 15% of women will send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day.
15. Casanova is probably the world's most famous lover, and he was known for eating chocolate as an aphrodisiac.
16. Love poems are a perfect gift for Valentine's Day, and people have been writing each other love poems for a very long time. In fact the first love poem was written on a clay tablet during the time of the "Sumerians" which was around "3500 B.C." (A.,2007).
17. Giving chocolate and roses has been a long held tradition during Valentine's Day, but wooden spoons were carved and given as gifts in Wales for this holiday. They are decorated with keys and lock to symbolize the heart belonging to the owner of the spoon.
18. The pilgrims would send all sorts of sugary treats to their loved ones on Valentine's Day, and this was highly valued because sugar was a rare commodity during these times.
19. Lace is a common item during Valentine's Day, and its link to romance started when women would use a lace handkerchief to strike up conversation with the person admired. A woman would drop their handkerchief in front of a man, and he would pick it up and initiate communication.
20. The heart is symbolic of Valentine's Day, and it symbolizes love and affection. The symbol of a heart originated with mans first attempt to draw something they could not see. The heart is also representative of love because it is where Cupid would shoot his arrow to make you fall in love. The heart was also believed to be where the soul resided.
Valentine's Day is a day of love and emotion, and although it started with secret marriages it is now a day of celebrating your love in front of the whole world.
Reference:A., A. (2007). Valentine day facts. Retrieved from http://www.mydearvalentine.com/valentines-day-facts/
