Valentine's Day History

Did you know these fun facts about Valentine's Day? 

•    We celebrate in memory of St. Valentine, a Roman clergyman, who was executed on the 14th of February. St. Valentine married soldiers in defiance of the emperor who only sent single men into battle.

    •    Esther Howland began to sell mass-produced valentines in the 1840s.

    •    Conversation Hearts were first produced in 1866 by NECCO, a candy manufacturer. These hearts were first called Motto Hearts. According to the company, more than eight billion of these little candies are sold between January 1st and February 14th.

    •    About one billion Valentine cards are exchanged each year. That is the largest card-sending occasion, with Christmas coming in second.

    •    Within a three-day period, around 110 million roses will be sold. Most of those are red roses, which was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Red represents deep-rooted, immense feelings, most of those associated with love.

    •    Sixty percent of American roses are grown in California. However, most of the roses sold on Valentine's Day in the US are imported from South America.