Valentine's Day is celebrated in the
U.K., the U.S., Canada, Mexico, France,
and Australia and the U.K., but in no
other countries. Still, the Italian city
of Verona, where Shakespeare's lovers
Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about
1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every
February 14th.
Chinese Valentine's Day celebrated not
on February 14, but on the seventh day
of the seventh month of the Chinese
lunar calendar.
The oldest known Valentine was sent in
1415 by Charles, the Duke of Orleans, to
his French wife from his orison cell in
the Tower of London. It is still
displayed in an English museum.
About 1 billion Valentine's Day cards
are exchanged each year. That's the
largest seasonal card-sending occasion
of the year, next to Christmas.
Teachers receive the most Valentine's
Day cards, followed by children,
mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts.
Children ages 6 to 10 exchange more than
650 million Valentine's with teachers,
classmates, and family members.
Studies show about 65 percent of men do
not make plans in advance for a romantic
Valentine's Day with their sweethearts.
About 3% of pet owners will give
Valentine's Day gifts to their pets.
Approximately 110 million roses, mostly
red, are sold and delivered in the U.S.
within a three-day time period before
Valentine's Day.
One single red rose framed with baby's
breath, called by florists a "signature
rose," is the preferred choice for many
to give on Valentine's Day.
During the Middle Ages, people believed
birds chose their mates on St.
Valentine's Day and boys and girls might
do the same.
Some people once believed, if a woman
saw a robin flying overhead on
Valentine's Day, it meant she would
marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow,
she would marry a poor man and be very
happy. A goldfinch would mean a
millionaire.
Also in the Middle Ages, young men and
women drew names to see who their
valentines would be. They would wear the
names on their sleeves for one week. The
phrase "to wear your heart on your
sleeve" may have begun during that
period..
By the 17th century, some believed if a
maiden ate a hard-boiled egg and pinned
five bay leaves to her pillow before
going to sleep on Valentine's eve, she
would dream of her future husband.
