With Valentine's Day a little more than a week away, I thought it would be a great idea to present some interesting trivia and random facts about the holiday.
Valentine's Day dates back to a fertility festival in ancient Rome called Lupercalia. A custom of the festival was to bring young boys and girls together by drawing a name from a jar. Many of the pairings were successful and couples wound up getting married. This custom lasted until it was decided that mates should choose each other by sight.
A priest named Valentine of Rome was responsible for giving the holiday its name. The reign of Emperor Claudius II was highlighted by many bloody battles. He found it tough to get soldiers because they did not want to leave their families. As a result, he canceled all marriages. Valentine started to conduct ceremonies in secret but was brutally beaten to death on February 14 and was martyred as St. Valentine. In addition to being the patron saint of lovers, he is also the patron saint of epilepsy, plague, greetings, travel, young people, and bee keepers.
During the 1600s, Europeans began the tradition of exchanging Valentine's. In the United States, the first mass-produced Valentines appeared during the 1840s.
I didn't know that Groundhog Day was also originally celebrated on February 14.
One of my favorite types of trivia is "By the Numbers":
- According to the National Confectioner's Association, more than 36 million heart-shaped are sold for the holiday, and more than 58 million pounds of chocolate are purchased. About 8 million conversation hearts are produced, which is enough candy to stretch from Rome, Italy to Valentine, AZ. Conversation hearts have a shelf life of five years.
- 61% of men and 39% of women will purchase flowers. The most popular flowers that people purchase aren't roses, but mixed bouquets. These are followed by red roses, roses of other colors, flowers, and plants. (Source: Society of American Florists)
- This year, $8.6 million will be spent on wine.
- According to the U.S. Postal Service, 150 million cards and gifts are mailed each year.
- The website Accuracy Project lists many cities and towns around the world with names associated with the holiday
- The number of children conceived on Valentine's Day is 11,000 (Source: Statistic Brain)
- Teachers are the most popular recipients of Valentines, followed by children, mothers, and wives. Children exchange more than 650 million cards each year (Source: Kids Growth)
- Hallmark produces over 1,330 different types of valentines (Source: Kids Growth).
- Women purchase 85% of all valentines (Source: Kids Growth).
- The average amount pet owners will spend for Valentine's Day is $4.52 (Source: National Retail Federation).
- 6 million people will plan a proposal (Source: American Express)
- Total spending on Valentine's Day will be $18.9 billion. The average person will spend $142 (Source: National Retail Federation).
Celebrity couples who were married on Valentine's Day include; Captain and Tennille, Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, Brian Wilson and Melinda Ledbetter, Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, Prince and Matye Garcia, Sharon Stone and Phil Bronstein, and Salma Hayek and Francois Henry Pinnault,
For more random facts and humor, as well as ideas for gifts, parties, and crafts, check out the website St. Valentine's Day.
As a gentle reminder, our shop can customize many of our Bridal Shower games to tailor to your Valentine's Day-themed celebration. If you don't see anything you like, you can always request a custom order!
It's time for the daily Listmania:
Valentine's Day Party Idea of the Day: From Mother Nature Network, I love these Cupid's arrows created with packs of Big Red gum and heart-shaped Chuckles.
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| Paul Robeson |
Black History Month Fun Fact of the Day: 1n 1948, singer, actor, and civil rights activist Paul Robeson was considered for the vice-president's spot under Henry A. Wallace's Progressive Party ticket.
Oscar Fun Fact of the Day: "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "Birdman" are tied for the most nominations this year. It's also the first Best-Picture nomination for its respective directors, Wes Anderson and Richard Later.
Today's Birthdays: Jeremy Sumpter (26), Darren Criss (28), Sara Evans (44), Michael Sheen (46), Bobby Brown (46), Chris Parnell (48), Laura Linney (51), Jennifer Jason Leigh (53), Tim Meadows (54), Christopher Guest (67), Barbara Hershey (67), Charlotte Rampling (69), Al Kooper (71), Cory Wells (73), and David Selby (74).
Holidaze: Today is National Weatherperson's Day. With the way the weather's been lately, this is one person I prefer not to thank. However, I know they are just doing their jobs, and it's important to know the weather before we leave for daily tasks each morning. This holiday commemorates the birthday of Dr. John Jeffries, who was born on this day in 1774. Jeffries was a scientist and surgeon who was one of the first weather observers in the U.S.
It's also National Shower With a Friend Day. While this definitely sounds cozy, it also helps conserve water.
Tomorrow, it's back to Oscar talk and our Freebie Friday giveaway.
Have a PRINTASTIC day!
Kathy
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