Valentine’s Day offers a chance for partners to show love and affection. It can be through the exchange of postcards, love messages, and flowers. Despite Valentine’s being a romantic holiday, its origin is ancient. It was named after Saint Valentine, a Christian Martyr from Rome. To date, it is a day to celebrate platonic love between family and friends and romantic love.
At Bedbible, we have researched some essential and interesting facts about Valentine’s Day. We have also delved into some key statistics ever since Valentine’s Day was celebrated in the 1400s. Below are some key findings you need to know about this Day.
Key Findings
- Americans spent about $26 billion on gifts during Valentine’s Day.
- At least 250 million roses are grown yearly in preparation for Valentine’s Day.
- Nearly 25% of pet owners give their pets gifts during Valentine’s Day.
- 63% of Americans send Valentine’s Day text every year.
- On average, people spend about $193 during Valentine’s Day.
- Greeting cards and candy are the most popular gifts given on Valentine’s Day.
- Every year, Americans send 145 million Valentine’s Day cards.
- 7 out of 10 couples use sex toys on valentine’s day.
- Valentine’s Day was named after Saint Valentine, a Christian Martyr from Rome who died on February 14th.
- Some people believe that Valentine’s Day originated from a pagan fertility festival known as Lupercalia, commemorated in ancient Rome on February 15th.
- The first Valentine’s Day of Love was celebrated in the 15th century in Paris when King Charles VI of France established the High Court of Love (La cour amoureuse).
- King Henry VII of England made Valentine’s an official holiday in 1537.
- The 17th century saw the beginning of sending handwritten letters and cards to friends and lovers, but it was in the 1840s that Valentine’s Day cards were mass-produced.
- Giving red roses became a norm during Valentine’s Day in the late 17th century when King Charles II of Sweden learned the language of flowers.
- Men spend more on Valentine’s Day than women.
- Spending on Valentine’s continues to increase yearly apart from 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Florists are the busiest during Valentine’s Day, sending the most email marketing campaigns on this Day.
- Millennials spend the most on Valentine’s Day.
#1. The Romans Started Valentine’s Day
- Valentine’s Day began with the Romans, with two theories explaining the inception of Valentine’s Day. Some people believe the Day emanated from a raucous Roman festival, Lupercalia, lasting from February 13-15. It involved men stripping naked and spanking young maidens in the hope of increasing their fertility. The other theory is that this Day was named after St. Valentine, who was killed in 270 A.D on February 14th for performing secret marriages against the order of Roman Emperor Claudius II, who forbade young men from marrying in a bid to bolster his army.
#2. A Pope Declared The First Valentine’s Day Holiday
- Pope Gelasius I declared Valentine’s Day a holiday for the first time in 496 A.D.
#3. The Inaugural Valentine’s Day Celebration Happened In The Late 14th Century
- The first official Valentine’s Day celebration occurred in the 1400s when King Charles VI of France started the High Court of Love (La cour amoureuse).
#4. King Henry VII Declared St. Valentine’s A Holiday
- King Henry VIII of England declared February 14th an official holiday to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day in 1537.
#5. Valentine’s Day Was Not A Romantic Holiday
- Valentine’s became a romantic holiday in the late 14th century after Geoffrey Chaucer published his poem The Parliament of Fowls.
#6. Valentine’s Day Is Linked To A Sad Love Story
- The earliest Valentine bears a sad love story whereby the Duke of Orleans, Charles, sent a poem to his wife referring to her as his Valentine while imprisoned in 1415 in the Tower of London.
#7. Essential Patents Were Applied On Valentine’s Day
- Alexander Graham Bell applied for his telephone patent known as an Improvement Telegraphy at the age of 29 years on Valentine’s Day in 1876. Elisha Gay also applied for a patent caveat for the same invention on that same Day.
#8. Candy Is The Most Popular Gift
- The most popular gifts on Valentine’s Day are candy(56%), gift cards(40%), and flowers (37%). Both men and women would rather have chocolate than flowers on Valentine’s Day.
#9. Victorians Were The First To Give Flowers On Valentine’s Day
- The Victorians began the culture of giving flowers on Valentine’s Day.
#10. Hallmark Is Synonymous With Valentine’s Day Cards
- Hallmark prints over 1,400 Valentine’s Day card designs every year. Joyce Clyde, the founder of Hallmark, was the first to market greeting cards nationally.
#12. Roses Are A Thing During Valentine’s Day
- Over 250 million roses are grown yearly in readiness for Valentine’s Day. Every flower color has a meaning, with red roses symbolizing love, purple=royalty, white=sincerity, and pink=happiness.
#13. A Pharmacist Is Behind The Production Of Candy Hearts
- Candy hearts originated from lozenges made by Oliver Chase, a pharmacist from Boston, using the candy-making machine in 1847. About 8 billion conversation hearts are produced every year, exempting 2019.
#14. Richard Cadbury Is The Mastermind Of Heart Shaped Box Of Chocolate
- In 1861, the son of Cadbury founder Richard Cadbury introduced the first heart-shaped box of chocolates. To date, over 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are sold every year.
#15. Men Spend More Than Women During Valentine’s Day
- Men spend the most on Valentine’s Day, spending an average of $639. About 68% of men plan to purchase Valentine’s Day gifts. They spend an average of $249 on gifts, while women spend $57.
#16. Spending On Valentine’s Day Gifts Varies Each Year
- Total expected spending on Valentine’s Day gifts varies yearly, but in 2021, there was a drastic drop in spending due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Source: National Retail Foundation’s Survey
#17. Inflation and Commercialization Have an Influence On Valentine’s Day Spending
- In 2023, more than 40% of consumers planned to buy lower-cost Valentine’s Day gifts because of inflation. About 50% of people do not celebrate Valentine’s because of commercialization.
#18. More Business For Florists On Valentine’s Day
- Florists are the busiest on Valentine’s Day. In 2023, consumers spent $2.3 billion on flowers, with red roses being the most popular, accounting for 70% of flowers purchased on Valentine’s Day. Flower businesses send a lot of email marketing campaigns. Over 38% of email campaigns are for flowers.
#19. Spending On Jewelry Is A Norm
- In 2022, the National Retail Federation reported that Americans spent over 6.2 billion on jewelry during Valentine’s Day. Besides, American consumers planned to spend about 6.5 billion dollars on jewelry in 2024 during Valentine’s Day.
#20. Millennials Are The Highest Spenders During Valentine’s Day
- Millennials spend a lot on Valentine’s Day gifts, with those aged 35-44 spending the most on gifts for their significant others.
#21. Pets Are Not Left Behind
- In 2020, 27% of pet owners bought Valentine’s Day gifts for their pets, according to the National Retail Federation. This represented a 17% increase compared to 2010.
#22. It is Not All Merry During Valentine’s Day
- Breaking up during Valentine’s Day is a common occurrence. One in fourteen Americans breaks up with someone on Valentine’s Day.
#23. Cupid Has “Love-creating abilities”
- Cupid, the little chubby baby characterized by a bow and arrow, was a Greek God. According to Time.com, it became the face of Valentine’s Day in the 19th century.
#24. A Whopping 145 million Valentine’s Day Cards Every Year
- According to Hallmark, Valentine’s Day is the most famous card-giving Day, with over 145 million cards given yearly. Surprisingly, this is minus the little cards kids put in their classmates’ Valentine boxes.
#25. A Young Graduate’s Valentine Startup Revolutionized Gift Cards
- Esther A. Howard, a graduate of Mount Holyoke kick started the mass production of valentines in the mid-1800s. Her secret was producing charmingly affordable cards that cost a dollar.
#26. Doctors Used Chocolate In Fixing Broken Hearts
- Back then, doctors could prescribe chocolate for people suffering from heartbreak.
#27. Valentine’s Is A Big Deal For Americans
- A lot of Americans buy gifts and cards or go for an evening out on Valentine’s Day. More than 80% of consumers in the U.S. plan to spend on Valentine’s Day.
#28. The Catholic Church Has More Than One Saint Valentine
- The Catholic church remembers at least three different St Valentines who were martyred and inspired the Valentine’s Day holiday.
#29. Valentine’s Day Is Not A Religious Holiday
- However, in 1969, after the Second Vatican Council, the holiday was discarded as a holiday from the Roman Calendar of Saints. But St. Valentine is still the patron saint of engaged couples, love, and happy marriages.
#30. Valentine’s Day Is Not All About Romance
- You can celebrate with friends and family members on this Day. According to the National Retail Federation, presents for friends account for 7% of Valentine’s Day spending.
#31. Valentine’s Day Is Not Cheap
- In 2021, consumers spent about $24 billion on Valentine’s Day gifts. According to the National Retail Foundation, Americans spent about $26 billion on Valentine’s Day gifts in 2023.
#32. The Red Heart Is A Popular Emoji On Valentine’s Day
- In 2023, the red heart was among the most-used emojis. Others included rolling on the floor, laughing, and crying with laughter emojis.
#33. Arizona and Oregon Became States On Valentine’s Day
- Oregon in 1859 and Arizona in 1912 became States on Valentine’s Day.
#34.14th February is The Busiest For Restaurants
- Restaurants tend to have too many bookings for evening outs and dinners during Valentine’s Day.
#35. Experiential Gifts Continue To Rise
- About 40% of consumers in 2017 wanted an experience gift such as dinner, outdoor activities, and tickets to a concert.
#36. The Vast Number Of Roses Are Imported
- Most roses sold during Valentine’s Day in the U.S. are imported from Colombia. However, California produces about 60% of American roses.
#37. Mass Weddings Are A Thing During Valentine’s Day In The Philippines
- Mass weddings are popular in the Philippines during Valentine’s Day. Even the government puts in place measures to allow hundreds of couples to get married on this Day.
#38. In Ghana, Valentine’s Day Is About Chocolate
- 2007 February 14th became a National Chocolate Day in Ghana to promote chocolate consumption.
#39. Nordic Countries Celebrate Friendship On Valentine’s Day
- Estonia and Finland recognize Valentine’s Day as a celebration of friendship, where lovers, friends, and family members exchange gifts and cards.
#40. There Is A City Named Valentine
- In the U.S., Nebraska, Texas, Virginia, and Texas have a city named Valentine.
#41. Singles Have Something To Celebrate On Valentine’s Day
- Singles celebrate the International Quitkyalone Day during Valentine’s Day.
#42. Teachers Receive The Most Valentines.
- Elementary school classes normally exchange presents during Valentine’s Day. So, teachers receive notes with sweet messages from students, making them the largest recipients of Valentine’s.
#43. Italian Restaurants are The Most-Sought After
- Italian cuisines are the most searched for during Valentine’s Day, followed by French cuisine.
#44. In Japan, Women Do A Lot Of Gifting Compared To Men
- Valentine’s was first celebrated in Japan in 1936. On this Day, women buy gifts and chocolate for their men.
#45.43% Of Millennials Get Engaged On Valentine’s Day
- Research by James Allen in 2017 found that a significant number of millennials opt to get engaged on Valentine’s Day.
#46. A Fictional Character Receives Thousands Of Valentines
- Each year during Valentine’s Day, Verona, a city in Italy, receives thousands of letters that are addressed to fictional characters Juliet of Romeo and Juliet, a famed play by William Shakespeare.
#47. The Color Red Is Attractive
- Red is a color that connotes sexuality and passion. According to research by the University of Rochester, psychologists established that men find women sexually desirable and more attractive while wearing the red color. That makes sense, while most people prefer to be colored on Valentine’s Day.
#48. All Of Me By John Legend Is A Popular Song During Valentine’s Day
- According to Spotify, “All of Me” by John Legend is the most added song to a love-themed playlist. Since 2013, streams have spiked by 50% on Valentine’s Day.
#49. Covid-19 Impacted Valentine’s Day Spending
- According to Statista, interest in celebrating Valentine’s Day dropped by 32.7% from February 2021 to 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
#50. California Is Known For Having The Most Chocolate Makers
- California has the highest number of chocolate makers, 125, followed by Pennsylvania with 144.
#51. Vinegar Valentines Were Used For Insulting Suitors
- Vinegar Valentines were used to deter certain suitors in the 20th century and the Victorian Era. They were used by people who did not want attention from particular suitors, so they were sent anonymously.
#52. Sex Toys are a popular gift on Valentine’s Day
- 7 out of 10 couples use sex toys on Valentine’s Day (If you’re interested in finding a toy for your partner then take a look at our reviews of the best cock sleeves, or you can find a g spot vibrator here. If none of these products interests you. Then go to this subpage and find the best sex toys for you).
