1) Cupid started out as a Greek god. Cupid, with his cherubic looks and angel wings, was originally the Greek god, Eros. Eros was the son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and procreation. Cupid is known to shoot two types of arrows – one to make people fall in love and one to make them hate each other.
2) “X” was originally not a symbol for a kiss. Although we sign letters and texts with an X as a symbol for a kiss, this was not the letter’s original purpose. In medieval times, when people did not know how to sign their names, they would simply sign off with an X. To show their loyalty and affection, they would then kiss the X before sending the letter. Ergo, X came to represent a kiss.
3) Candy hearts started out as medical lozenges. The popular Valentine’s Day candy, candy hearts, started out as medical lozenges for the throat. Boston-based pharmacist Oliver Chase invented the machine that produced small, medical, heart-shaped lozenges. When he saw the popularity of these small pop-in medicines, he turned them into candy with cute messages on them.
4) Roses symbolize love. Roses are said to be the flowers of love. Venus, the Roman goddess of love, was said to adore red roses. This story made people start spreading love by giving roses to the object of their affection. The gift of a rose either on stems or in clusters of petals is an artful expression of love.
5) Different places celebrate Valentine’s Day in different ways. Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many different ways around the world. In Japan, women give chocolates to men. Men reciprocate this gesture a month later on March 14, i.e., White Day. In Finland, February 14 is celebrated as Ystävänpäivä, which translates to Friends Day. Valentine’s Day is an expression of love in many different forms.
6) Alexander Graham Bell applied for a patent for the telephone on Valentine’s Day. It was on this romantic holiday that Alexander Graham Bell applied for a patent for his revolutionary invention – the telephone! Now, the telephone is the biggest medium for sending and receiving Valentine’s Day greetings.
7) Valentine’s Day is the second most popular day for sending cards. Valentine’s Day is a day when people all around the world send and receive cards. A greeting card with a personalized message makes for great memories, especially as you grow older. It is second only to Christmas in this regard. Valentine cards are mass-produced and most of the stock is sold out by the time the holiday rolls around. Esther A. Howland, entrepreneur and considered to be the “Mother of the American Valentine Card,” mass-produced the first Valentine’s Day card in the USA
8) It’s the day that penicillin was introduced. Penicillin, the world’s first antibiotic and one of the greatest scientific discoveries, was introduced to the world on Valentine’s Day.
9) Lace is commonly used in Valentine’s Day gifts. Lace is commonly used in making bouquets of roses and in other items during Valentine’s Day. The word “lace” comes from the Latin word “laques” which means to snare or trap a person’s heart.
10) The first valentine was sent from prison. The first valentine ever sent was by Charles, The Duke of Orleans. When he was imprisoned after a war, he sent a love poem to his wife, who he would meet only 15 years later.
11) “Wear your heart on your sleeve” is quite a literal idea. Many years ago, people would pick out a name from a bowl to find out who their Valentine would be. The chit they picked would then be pinned on their sleeve for the world to see.
12) There is a sad reason behind giving chocolates on Valentine’s Day. Physicians in days gone by would recommend chocolate to people who were suffering from a broken heart or pining after a lost love.
13) Thank Richard Cadbury for chocolate boxes. In 1861, Richard Cadbury invented the first chocolate box. Always the businessman, he realized that he could capitalize on Valentine’s Day by producing chocolate boxes and marketing them as something to be given to your sweetheart.
14) St. Valentine was a rebel. St. Valentine, to whom this romantic holiday is dedicated, was a rebel. Emperor Claudius of Rome outlawed marriage because he believed that single men made better soldiers. St. Valentine went against his decree and performed wedding ceremonies in secret.
15) The oldest Valentine’s Day card is 600 years older than you. The oldest Valentine’s Day card was written in the 1400s. It has been preserved in the British Museum for all to see.
16) Valentine’s Day was declared by the pope. Pope Gelasius declared the Valentine’s Day holiday around 498 A.D.
17) Roses and baby’s breath make quite the combination. For years now, florists have been selling the “signature rose” which is comprised of a single red rose with a tuft of baby’s breath. This signature rose is particularly popular on Valentine’s Day.
18) The most popular valentine card recipients are teachers. According to a survey, the most popular recipients of Valentine’s Day gifts and cards are teachers, followed by children, mothers, wives, sweethearts, and pets.
19) Hallmark did not make the first known Valentine’s Day card. Hallmark, then known then as Hall Brothers, introduced the Valentine’s Day card as we know it at the beginning of the last century. The first Valentine’s Day card is said to have been given way before that in 1477. The lucky recipient is believed to be a man named John Paston, whose fiancé Margery Brews wrote him a love letter.
20) The “death” of St. Valentine. Legend has it that St. Valentine was killed for helping Christians escape a Roman prison. It is believed he was the first person to write a letter from prison, signing it, “From your Valentine.”
