Valentine's Day Facts

Valentine’s Day History: Roman Roots


Lovers’ holiday goes back to Roman festivals where men stripped and had goat-or dog skin and spanked young women in hopes that the fertility would increase.

Lupercalia was held every year on February 15. It was popular among a lot of people into the fifth century. The church named the festival to the legend of St. Valentine. The story behind Valentine is that he aloud marriages but then in secret because there was an Emperor who forbade men to marry. Therefore Valentine was executed on February 14. However it is not sure whether this legend is true.


Valentine’s Day 2010: Spending Takes a Holiday?

According the U.S. NRF, people spend approximately 14,1 billion on Valentine’s Day in 2010. However the numbers were 14,7 billion last year. Americans plan to spend more on Valentine’s day on each group(family, pets) than last year. According to Kathy Grannis is Valentine’s Day because it’s providing another way to make somebody else happy and show others your appreciation instead.

Valentine’s Day gifts go back to basic


Last year a lot more people spend their Valentine’s Day on an evening out or going out but nowadays people tend to buy clothes for their significant others. Men spend almost twice as much on Valentine than women do.

Valentine’s Day cards

The first Valentine’s Day card was sent in 1415 from France’s Duke to his wife when he was a prisoner. Valentine’s Day card went more popular during the Revolutionary War.
Nowadays the greetings card are the most common Valentine’s gifts. According to the Greeting Card Association 190 million Valentine’s cards were sent.
Giving one another a Valentine’s Day card is a cultural tradition in the United States. Hallmark started his business in 1913.

Valentine’s Day Candy: Cash Cow

Approximately 47 percent of the United States consumers will exchange Valentine’s Day candy. This is good for the sales. It adds op billion dollars. 75 percent of that billion is spent to chocolate. This can be associated with romance at least since Mexico’s 15th- and 16th- century Aztec Empire. The chocolate hearts for example doesn’t mean anything except: ‘Be mine,’ Kiss me,’ ‘Call me.’ Etc. A lot of candy heart were made last year. There were made eight billion candy hearts.



What is love? Evolution and Infatuation

Helen Fisher is an anthropologist and an author of several books on love. Fisher breaks love into three distinct brain systems that enable mating and reproduction:
- Sex drive
- Romantic love(obsession, passion, infatuation)
- Attachment(calmness and security with a long-term partner)

Those three play a role in love. Fisher added that only two of these three brain systems: sex drive and romantic love was used during Valentine’s Day. Fisher: ‘Once you start giving the dog a valentine, you are talking about a real expression of attachment as well as romantic love.’