Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that you either love or you hate. Often it is dependent upon whether you are coupled up or not. Before you decide whether you will be swooning this holiday of hearts or shaking your head in dismay, learn some fun facts about the holiday that does not grant us a day off work!

-On a yearly basis there are 188 million Valentine’s cards given out. Valentine’s Day is the second most popular occasion for greeting cards (the first is Christmas). This does not include the packages of children’s valentines that can be purchased.

-More than half of those who live in the United States celebrate Valentine’s Day by giving someone special in their life a card.

-An estimated 50 percent of all cards purchased for Valentine’s Day are purchased six to seven days before the holiday rolls around.

(Source: Hallmark Research)

-Are you curious to know what percentage of men buy flowers for that special someone at Valentine’s Day? (I thought so- me too!) The answer is 73%, as opposed to only 27% of women who buy flowers for the holiday of hearts.

-Pet lovers might find this statistic interesting- approximately three percent of pet owners give their pet(s) a gift for Valentine’s Day.

-For those who love to chat on the phone this fun fact is worth knowing- Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the first practical telephone, applied for his telephone patent on February 14, 1876. He was granted the patent on March 7, 1876.

-The expression “wearing your heart on your sleeve” can be traced back to the Middle Ages. Men and women used to draw names out of a hat in order to randomly determine who would be their valentine. They would then wear the name they chose on their sleeves for a period of one week. In modern times the expression has come to mean that other people can easily see how a person feels.

-Approximately 60% of the roses that are sold on Valentine’s Day in the United States are produced in the state of California. However, a great deal is imported from South America.

-Most roses that are ordered and delivered for the Valentine’s Day holiday are red.

-Within a three day span revolving around February 14, an estimated 110 million roses are sold.

(Source: http://www.agirlsworld.com/amy/pajama/valentines/storytime.html)

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