Originally posted on February 13, 2007 @ 10:23 pm
Every February across the country, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine.
But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday?
We might never really solve the mystery of “who is Saint Valentine” but thanks to Google, we now have a tasty and chocolate covered Google logo to pay tribute to the day of love and romance:
The history of Valentine’s Day and its patron saint is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance.
St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.
So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?
Today the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.
Ok, now for some fun Valentine trivia…. did you know:
- 188 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion.
- Over 50 percent of all Valentine’s Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the observance, making Valentine’s Day a procrastinator’s delight.
- Research reveals that more than half of the U.S. population celebrates Valentine’s Day by purchasing a greeting card.
- There are 119 single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) who are in their 20s for every 100 single women of the same ages.
- There are 34 single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) age 65 or older for every 100 single women of the same ages.
- 904: The number of dating service establishments nationwide as of 2002. These establishments, which include Internet dating services, employed nearly 4,300 people and pulled in $489 million in revenues.
Encase you were wondering, the source of the trivia above came from Hallmark research.
I hope your day is filled with love, romance and of course chocolate and nice smelling flowers.