6 Fun Facts about Valentine's Day

The history behind this day is rich and full of fun facts about Valentine’s Day that will make you appreciate the holiday even more. Understanding why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day goes beyond gifts, it’s a reminder of how important love and connection are in life. 

Here are some interesting things about the holiday that you may not have known:

1. Valentine’s Day Celebrates an Actual Saint

One of the most intriguing Valentine’s Day facts is that the holiday honors a real person. The story of Valentine's Day is rooted in legend, with scholars suggesting it commemorates the death of a Roman priest named Valentine. In the 3rd century, Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriages for young men to maintain a strong army. Valentine defied this by secretly performing marriages, leading to his imprisonment and eventual death.

2. Valentine’s Day Has Been Around Since the 400s

The Valentine’s Day date has been celebrated for centuries. However, it wasn’t until the 1400s that the holiday became more associated with romantic love than with the saint himself.

3. Richard Cadbury started Heart-Shaped Candy Boxes

No Valentine’s Day date would be complete without a box of chocolates, and the iconic heart-shaped boxes we associate with the holiday were first introduced by Richard Cadbury in 1861. Today, heart shaped chocolates remain one of the fun facts about Valentine’s Day that continue to be a favorite tradition.

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4. Red Roses Are Inspired by an Aphrodite Myth

According to Valentine’s Day facts, Aphrodite pricked her foot on a rosebush while rushing to save her lover, Adonis, turning its white petals red. This story contributed to the tradition of giving roses, especially red ones, on Valentine's Day, a custom that became popular during the Victorian era.

5. Conversation Hearts Began as Medical Lozenges

One of the most surprising Valentine’s Day facts is the origin of conversation hearts. These small, heart-shaped candies were first created by Boston pharmacist Oliver Chase. 

6. Valentine’s Day Is the Second Largest Holiday for Exchanging Cards

Fun facts about Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the massive number of cards exchanged on this day, with an estimated 145 million cards exchanged each year. This doesn’t even include the cards shared by children in schools! 

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