As only a month is left to celebrate Valentine's day here I want to tell you some amazing and interesting facts about the Valentine day. Have a look.
- The origin of Valentine's day
Historians think that Valentine's Day actually begins in Ancient Rome as a pagan fertility festival called Lupercalia, which involved sacrificing animals and whipping women with animal skins until they bled, signifying their fertility. So romantic.
-In the 1300s, it officially became a holiday connected with love and romance.
The holiday was Christianized — no more animal sacrifices! — and was celebrated in mid-February because many thought that birds started their mating season on February 14, which is why doves are often associated with love.
-Do you know the first valentines were sent in the 15th century?
But not until the 17th century did people start giving cards and letters. And Valentine's Day cards weren't mass-produced until the 1840s.
-Americans send 141 million Valentine's Day cards each year.
That's more than any other holiday except Christmas. And how sweet: Teachers receive the most Valentine's Day cards annually, followed by children, mothers, and wives.
- And nearly 9 million Americans will buy gifts or cards for their dogs.
Hey, furry friends need love, too.
-The first heart-shaped box of chocolates was introduced in 1868.
Today, more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are sold each year. That's 58 million pounds of chocolate.
-According to Durex, condom sales rise in February.
Sales are almost 20% to 30% higher around Valentine's Day. And maybe not so surprisingly, more at-home pregnancy tests are sold in March than any other month.
-Lace is commonly used in Valentine's Day decorations.
It comes from the Latin lacques, which means to snare or to net, as in catch a person's heart.