Valentine's Day is a special holiday when people pause to express love for all the special people in their lives. It is typically enjoyed by people who are involved romantically, through the exchange of love notes, flowers, and candlelight dinners. Over the years, celebrations have evolved to include many other relationships, like those between parents and children, best friends, and classmates. Many elementary schools host card exchanges, inviting students to get their creative juice flowing by making boxes to receive notes from other students. Next time little students gather around for these exchanges, they will be interested in learning some interesting Valentines' Day facts
Valentine's Day History, Symbolism, and Other Trivia
Kids enjoy reading stories about Valentine's Day featuring characters who display heartfelt gestures, experience funny mishaps, and send mixed signals that create humorous misunderstandings. Little readers will relate to all of the tender sentiments, secret crushes, and emotional turmoil that all come to the surface on this very special day in February. For tender-hearted tots who want to learn more about this holiday, be sure to share some of these interesting and quirky Valentine's Day facts about the origins of the holiday, how much people spend, the role of chocolates, and other quirky trivia about the day where everyone around the world celebrates love.
(1) Conversation hearts were originally medicine.
We can thank a pharmacist from the 1800s for candy conversation hearts. He simplified the process for making lozenges but quickly shifted his focus to candy, specifically Necco wafers. By the early 1900s, the heart shaped wafers took form with sweet words pressed into them. Today, more than 8 billion conversation hearts are produced every year.
(2) A box of chocolates is a time-honored gift.
The very first box of Valentine's Day chocolates was introduced by Richard Cadbury in 1868, according to history.com. This traditional gift can be shared with just about anybody you love. The heart-shaped box is filled with a variety of chocolates that will satisfy every sweet tooth. Surveys indicate that caramels are the favorite, followed by chocolate-covered nuts, chocolate-filled, cream-filled, and coconut.
(3) We have the birds to thank.
The association of Valentine's Day with love and romance began in the Middle Ages. It developed from a belief in England and France that birds begin their mating season on February 14th. In other words, lovebirds are actually birds!
(4) A crafty lady turned cards into a business.
A woman named Esther A. Howland is credited with the first mass-produced Valentine's Day cards in the US. In the 1840s, she became known as the "Mother of the American Valentine" when she created elaborate cards with lace and ribbon. This business model blossomed into an enormous industry that produces 145 million cards each year.
(5) February is a booming month full of marriage proposals.
It should come as no surprise that Valentine's Day is a popular choice for marriage proposals. Some surveys estimate as many as 6 million people get engaged on this day for lovers! Jewelers around the world enjoy a lucrative month in February.
(6) Restaurants thrive from all the romantic dinners out.
Restaurant owners benefit from the second busiest day of the year, second only to Mother's Day. Going out for a romantic dinner is a tradition shared by millions of couples. So you better make your reservation early if you want to celebrate this romantic holiday at your favorite eatery.
(7) Americans open their wallets.
According to the National Retail Federation, love is expensive! American spend in excess of $20 billion (with a B) every single year for Valentine's Day. That's a lot of chocolate!
(8) Valentine's Day roses travel far.
Those beautiful bouquets of roses have journeyed from afar, despite their fresh, vibrant appearance. About 60% of roses are produced in California, but the rest come from South America.
(9) More kids are the recipient of gifts on Valentine's Day than their parents.
At one time, mothers and fathers only had eyes for each other, spending their hard-earned money on gifts that reflected the depth of their emotions. When these unions produce little offspring, spending habits shift in February. No one knows exactly how, why, or when this happens. But one apparent finding has surfaced in surveys over the years. Parents are more likely to buy their children, rather than their spouses, gifts on Valentine's Day. In fact, a popular talk show found that 85% of their audience was planning a purchase for their kids while only 59% had something in mind for their better halves.
(10) Americans share their love, and money, with pets every February.
Various sources track that the total spend for pets on Valentine's Day is close to $2 billion, a number that is tracking higher year over year. Surveys indicate that the average amount spent on gifts for their most loyal dog companions is about $35, while cats get the short end of the stick with the gift-spend is closer to $30. In addition to toys, Americans love to buy their pets heart-shaped treats expressing their love.
(11) Galentine's Day is growing in popularity amongst girls who are best friends.
While traditionally a romantic holiday, this time of year is becoming a more inclusive celebration for people who want to honor every kind of love. Credit is attributed to Amy Poehler's character on the TV sitcom Parks and Recreation when she invited her besties to a brunch, leaving husbands and boyfriends behind. Ever since the idea was aired in 2010, women have embraced the opportunity to exchange gifts and shower their girlfriends in blankets of affection.