Valentines Day: History and fun facts

Early History of Valentine's Day:

(from about.com)

• One thought is: The early origins of Valentine's Day can be traced back to the ancient Roman celebration of Lupercalia, which was held on February 15. The celebration of Lupercalia honored the gods Lupercus and Faunus and the founders of Rome.

• Another thought is: There were two saints named Valentine and a priest a named Valentine. One saint was executed on February 14th and 227 years later, Pope Gelasius named February 14, Valentine's Day for him. The priest named Valentine disobeyed the Emperor and secretly married couples.

• And another thought is: Birds and fowl select their mates on February 14th.

Modern History of Valentine's Day:

• Began in France and England.
• The first box of Valentine's candy was in the late 1800's.
• The Duke of Orleans (a frenchman) sent the first Valentine, after being captured in 1415. He sent it on Valentine's Day to his wife.

Facts About Valentine's Day:

(from agirlsworld.com and about.com)

• Some of the countries that celebrate Valentine's Day:

  The United States

  Canada

  Mexico

  United Kingdom

  France

  Australia

• Over 1 billion Valentine cards are exchanged in the U.S each year. It's the largest seasonal card-sending occasion of the year, next to Christmas.
• 73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men; only 27% are women.
• About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets.
• Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone, an "Improvement in Telegraphy," on Valentine's Day, 1876.
• California produces 60% of American roses, but the vast number sold on Valentine's Day in the United States are imported mostly from South America. Approximately 110 million roses, the majority of which are red, will be sold and delivered within a three-day time period.
• Cupid, a symbol of Valentine's Day, became associated with it because he was the son of Venus, the Roman god of love and beauty. Cupid often appears on Valentine's cards holding a bow and arrows because he is believed to use magical arrows to inspire feelings of love.
• In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.

What are consumers buying? 84% Cut Flowers 12% Flowering and green houseplants 4% Outdoor bedding and garden plants Of fresh flowers purchased, 56% are roses, 23% mixed flowers, 10% carnations and 11% other single flower types. Of roses purchased, 64% are red, 11% pink, 10% mixed colors, 5% peach/salmon, 4% yellow, 3% white and 3% other.

Who's buying for Valentine's Day?

Valentine's Day floral purchases by gender: 65% are made by men; 35% by women. Of rose-only purchases: 74% are made by men; 26% by women.

For whom are they buying?

While men buy mostly for romantic reasons, women use Valentine's Day as an opportunity to show they care to mothers, daughters and friends, as well as their sweethearts. Women even treat themselves on Valentine's Day.

Source: IPSOS FloralTrends, 2005.

Marriage and Divorce

- During 1995, 2.3 million marriages and 1.2 million divorces took

place in the United States. That meant 6,400 marriages and 3,200

divorces on a typical day.

- Between 1990 and 1995, the annual number of marriages dropped

by 107,000, while the annual number of divorces fell 13,000.

- Nevada was the nation's marriage and divorce capital, racking up

both the highest marriage rate (88.1 marriages per 1,000

population) and divorce rate (8.1 divorces per 1,000 population)

of any state in 1995. Hawaii was a distant runner-up in the

marriage rate (15.Cool while Oklahoma, Wyoming and New Mexico (each

at 6.7) tied for second place in divorce rate.

- Among 18- to 24-year-olds, 24 percent of women and 14 percent of

men were married as of 1995. The figures rose to 64 percent and 55

percent for 25- to 34-year-olds, and 74 percent each for 35- to

54-year-olds. For persons 55 and over, the percentage falls to 53

percent for women, but increases to 79 percent for men.

- The estimated median age at first marriage in 1995 was 24.5 years

for women and 26.9 years for men.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/fs98-02.html