Valentine’s Day stock photo. Photo:
Firn/imageBROKER/Shutterstock
Love is in the air because Valentine’s Day has arrived!
Feb. 14 has long been known as a day of romance, filled with heart-shaped chocolates, red roses and giant balloons at every turn. Whether you’re exchanging sweet conversation candies, planning a candlelit dinner or sending a heartfelt letter signed “XOXO,” this day is all about love in its many forms. But how exactly did these traditions come to be?
While the holiday is often linked to the tale of Saint Valentine, its history includes several other influences that have shaped Valentine’s Day into what it is today — including the unexpected origins of conversation hearts, which actually began as medical lozenges. From ancient Roman festivals to billion-dollar gift sales, there’s a lot to know about the journey to today’s love-filled celebrations.
Below are 25 fun facts you didn’t know about Valentine’s Day.
Young priests wearing only goatskins celebrating the Lupercalia to honour the god Faunus. Sergio Anelli/Electa/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty
There are multiple versions of how Valentine’s Day came to be, though a commonly believed one is that it started as a Roman festival known as Lupercalia. According to Brittanica, Lupercalia included “fertility rites and the pairing off of women with men by lottery.”
Although Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 as Valentine’s Day toward the end of the 5th century, it wasn’t until around the 14th century that it became associated with romance, per History.com.
St. Valentine’s Day took on a new meaning thanks to English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who documented it as a day of romance in his 1375 poem Parliament of Fowls, writing, “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.”
Saint Valentine. Fototeca Gilardi/Getty
Valentine’s Day is commonly linked to the legend of Saint Valentine, but the Catholic Church recognizes several saints by that name. Some believe the holiday honors Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, while others associate it with a priest who secretly officiated unions for couples when Emperor Claudius II banned marriages for young men, according to History.com.
Today, wearing one’s heart “on their sleeve” is a common idiom for openly expressing true emotions. But there are many stories on how this phrase came to be, per Smithsonian Magazine.
One legend tells of men drawing names at a Roman festival to determine their suitor for the year, wearing her name on their sleeve throughout the event. Another suggests that knights dedicated their jousting matches to a lady of the court, tying one of her belongings — like a handkerchief — to their arm as a symbol of defending her honor.
Love letters. Geoffrey Swaine/Shutterstock
Legend has it that the oldest known valentine was written by Valentine himself to a young girl who visited him during his confinement, per History.com. Shortly before his death, he allegedly penned her a letter signed, “From your Valentine.”
During the Victorian Era, “vinegar valentines,” also known as penny dreadfuls, were anonymously sent to fend off unwanted suitors. Unlike traditional valentines, these cards were filled with insults and rejections rather than sweet sentiments, according to History.com.
While the romantic holiday is celebrated all around the world, there are four American towns called “Valentine” — in Nebraska, Arizona, Virginia (though with an “s” at the end) and Texas — that each has a unique way of honoring their namesake, per Inside Hook.
For example, Valentine, Neb., is decorated with painted hearts on the sidewalks and candy-red street signs. As the self-proclaimed “Heart City,” some restaurants even offer heart-shaped steaks.
A display of Valentine’s Day cards in a retail store. Artur Widak/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
According to Hallmark, approximately 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, making it the second-largest card-sending holiday of the year. (Christmas tops Valentine’s Day with approximately 1.3 billion cards sent annually, per Hallmark.)
While Valentine’s Day is thought to be primarily celebrated among partners and family, reportedly, teachers receive the most celebratory cards each year.
According to the National Retail Federation, consumers are expected to spend a record $27.5 billion on Valentine’s Day, averaging $188.81 per person.
A French Bulldog dressed up for Valentine’s Day. Firn/imageBROKER/Shutterstock
Valentine’s Day isn’t just for romantic partners — it’s also for furry friends! According to the National Retail Association, Valentine’s Day gifts for pets culminated in $1.189 billion spent in 2022, per Fox Tampa Bay.
According to a report by Capital One, candy is purchased more than any other gift for Valentine’s Day — however, shoppers spend the most amount of money on jewelry.
Heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are displayed ahead of Valentine’s Day. MICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Chocolate dates back to at least 450 B.C., but it was revolutionized in the 1800s by brothers Richard and George Cadbury. When they took over their family’s chocolate business in 1861, they introduced Fancy Boxes — decorated, chocolate-filled packages. A few years later, they discovered a way to use excess cocoa butter to reinvent the way people ate “chocolates.” By 1868, they were selling heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, establishing them as the perfect Valentine’s Day gift.
Today, it’s estimated that more than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold each year for Valentine’s Day, per Sugar Plum Chocolates.
Conversation hearts might be sweet and romantic now, but they actually began as medical lozenges. According to the 2013 book Candy: A Century of Panic and Pleasure, conversation hearts date back to 1847, when Boston pharmacist Oliver Chase invented a machine to simplify the production of apothecary lozenges, which were in high demand as a sore throat remedy at the time.
Candy hearts. Jill Brady/Portland Press Herald via Getty
After Chase created the machine, he soon transitioned from making medicinal lozenges to candy and founded what later became the New England Confectionary Company (NECCO).
In 1866, Chase’s brother Daniel discovered a method to imprint words onto the candy lozenges using a felt roller pad and vegetable coloring — paving the way for the candy heart messages exchanged today, per HuffPost.
Cupid’s Arrows by Leon Bazile Perrault. © Fine Art Photographic Library/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty
When you think of Cupid, you probably imagine a naked cherub launching arrows of love. But in Roman mythology, Cupid was the god of love. (He was known as Eros in Greek mythology.)
According to the Greek Archaic poets, he was seen as a handsome immortal who used golden arrows to spark love and interfere with the emotions of Gods and men.
In 2022, 22% of Americans are estimated to have bought fresh flowers or plants as gifts for Valentine’s Day — making it the no. 1 holiday for florists and floral purchases, per the Society of American Florists.
Red roses ready to be transported on Feb. 13, 2012, in Bangalore, India. MANJUNATH KIRAN/AFP via Getty
Ever wondered why red roses are so popular on Valentine’s Day? It’s because red roses symbolize passion and romance.
Other flower colors have symbolism, too: pink is associated with femininity and grace, while peach represents sweetness and gratitude. Meanwhile, yellow embodies happiness and positivity, orange symbolizes enthusiasm and success and white illustrates purity and sympathy.
Since Valentine’s Day falls in the winter months when it’s too cold for roses to grow, they have to be shipped in from other countries. According to OC Wholesale Flowers, approximately 250 million roses are grown each year in preparation for the high demand on Valentine’s Day — and have a strict logistical protocol for delivery windows so that they don’t wilt before the celebratory day.
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in episode 617 of ‘Parks and Recreation’ titled “Galentine’s Day.”. Danny Feld/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Calling all Galentines! Did you know that Galentine’s Day originated from a 2010 episode of Parks and Recreation? In the episode, Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) hosted a brunch for her female friends on Feb. 13 to celebrate their friendships.
According to The Knot, Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular dates for people to get engaged — but not the top. According to their internal study, the most popular proposal date is Christmas Day.
Lovebirds isn’t just a term for an affectionate couple — they’re an actual species. According to Smithsonian Magazine, these brightly colored parrots reach sexual maturity at around 10 months and form lifelong bonds with their mates.
Plus, ever heard of someone “pining” after a romantic partner? Well, lovebirds do that, too. If separated from their mate or flock, they exhibit erratic behavior often linked to depression, per Smithsonian.
XOXO mug and heart on pink background. Firn/imageBROKER/Shutterstock
Today, “XOXO” means “hugs and kisses,” but its origins weren’t always romantic. The “X” dates back to the Middle Ages when people signed documents with it as a symbol of faith, resembling a cross —often sealing it with a kiss to show sincerity.
The “O” has multiple versions of an origin story; some link it to the game tic-tac-toe, while others believe it represents the shape of a hugging embrace.
Although Valentine’s Day is widely recognized across the globe, various countries have their own traditions to celebrate the holiday.
For example, Brazil celebrates its version of Valentine’s Day in June rather than February, while the Czech Republic honors “Thee Day of Love” in May. Additionally, Finland honors friendship rather than significant others on Valentine’s Day.
Meanwhile, in Germany, couples exchange pig-shaped gifts and heart-shaped trinkets as symbols of love and lust.
While some are celebrating Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14, others are observing International Quirkyalone Day. According to the IQD website, it’s a “feel good alternative” to Valentine’s Day that celebrates “romance, friendship, and independent spirit.”
