Some Valentine Traditions
According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl (who may have been his jailor's daughter) who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed "From your Valentine," an expression still in use today.
According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year
Approximately 85 percent of all Valentine’s Day cards are purchased by women. 15 percent of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentines Day.
73 percent of people who buy flowers on Valentine’s Day are men. Approximately 110 million roses, mostly red, will be sold and delivered with the three-day Valentine’s Day period.
Richard Cadbury produced the first box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day in the late 1800’s. More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine’s Day this year. Over $ one billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine’s Day in the U.S.
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. This is where the term “they wear their heart on their sleeve” comes from.
