Whether you love this national day or think it’s a waste of card and flowers, we’ve found out some interesting facts about the much loved day of romance.

Origins
It became a holiday in the 1300’s but wasn’t associated with love and romance until the Middle Ages. Up to that point,  people marked it as the day that birds would start their mating season.

Mass Production
Mass Produced Valentines began in the 1840’s in the U.S. where a woman called Esther A Howland would sell her lace and ribbon covered cards. She’s credited as the Mother of the American Valentine.

Giving Flowers
Today red roses are synonymous with 14^th February, but giving flowers didn’t start until the late 17^th century, where it was traced to Swedish King Charles 2^nd who learned about the language of giving different types of flowers and their hidden meanings. The giving of red roses came about in the Victorian Era as they symbolise ‘deep love’.

Heart on your sleeve
The saying wearing your ‘heart on your sleeve’ comes from the Middle Ages, where individuals would draw names to see who their intended valentines would be, and would have the name pinned to their sleeve for a week so everyone could see their apparent true feelings.

Use of Lace
Lace is used frequently on cards and the latin meaning of lace is ‘to snare or net’, such as to catch a person’s heart.

A Kiss on Valentines Day is said to bring good luck all year.

Chocolates
The first box of chocolates was created by Richard Cadbury for Valentines Day in the 1800’s.

Love Court
‘The High Court of Love’ was established in Paris, France in 1400 as the first official celebration of Valentines Day. It was presided by 30 women who dealt with love contracts, betrayals and violence against women.

UK Spending
Around 855 million pounds was spent in the UK alone on Valentines Day in 2020, and men spend more on woman than the other way around.

Appreciating Teachers
Teachers get more cards & gifts than anyone else on Valentines Day, even beating Mothers and Partners!

Vinegar Valentines
During the Victorian Era, people used to send ‘Vinegar Valentines’ to unwanted suitors. These were usually messages of insult and reject and nicknamed ‘penny dreadfuls’.

Love Heart Sweets
Sweetie hearts with messages on them originally started out as medical lozenges where pharmacist Oliver Chase invented a machine to make them easier. He then expanded into sweet making and the candy hearts were born.