14 Valentine’s Day fun facts

Gabrielle Reyes, Features Editor

Every year, we celebrate Valentines day because it is something that has been done for years. We don’t thnk twice as to why. Who started this controversial day? Do people actually celebrate this holiday? We thought it would be interestig to look up some fun facts about this day and get to the truth of it. It is all just flowers and chocolates? 

1. The projected spending for 2020 is estimated at 27.4 billion.

2. Men will spend 3x more than women on Valentines day. The average man spends $130 on Valentine’s Day, while women spends about $70!

 3. Every year, around 9 million people buy their pets a Valentine’s Day gift.

4. 45% of adults do not plan to celebrate valentine’s day this year.  

5. History’s first valentine was written prison. Charles, Duke of Orleans wrote the love letter to his second wife at the age of 21 when being imprisioned. He never saw her reaction. 

 6. For those who don’t wish to receive a valentine from a particular suiter, you should try the old ways in the Victorian era. In those times, those who didn’t want the attention of certain suitors would anonymously send “vinegar valentines.”

7. Also in the Victorian era, people expressed their emotions through the language of flowers. Giving a certain kind of flower conveyed a specific message, and red roses meant romance. Hense now the tradition. 

8. In 1537, England’s King Henry VII officially declared Feb. 14 the holiday of St. Valentine’s Day.

9. 9 million marriage proposals will be made this valentines day. 

10.. The name Valentine is derived from a Latin word meaning valgor.

11. 50% of singles are proud of their relationship status

12. Richard Cadbury invented the first Valentines Day candy box in the late 1800s.

13. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 as the day to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day around 498 A.D.

14. If you’re single, don’t worry! You can celebrate Singles Awareness Day (SAD) instead.