- Valentinus is not only the Patron Saint of sweethearts and love, he is also the go-to guy for bee keepers, epilepsy, fainting, plague, travelers, and young people.
- In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine. They would wear this name pinned onto their sleeves for one week for everyone to see. This was the origin of the expression “to wear your heart on your sleeve.”
- The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare’s lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every year.
- In South Korea, the 14th of every month is a romantic holiday of some sort. Candle Day, Valentine’s Day, White Day, Black Day (for singles), Rose Day, Kiss Day, Silver Day, Green Day, Music Day, Wine Day, Movie Day, and Hug Day.
- 220,000 people get engaged on Valentine’s Day every year.
- Happy Irony Day: King Henry VIII declared February 14th a holiday in 1537. He also killed most of his wives for not giving him a son.
- A fourth chocolate, ruby, now officially exists. The innovation of Swiss confectionery company Barry Callebaut, its pink hue comes entirely from Ruby cocoa beans found around the world. Ruby beans provide pink color along with a fruity berry flavor no other chocolate type possesses.
- The 80 million bacteria exchanged during kissing helps boost your immune system—it’s good for your teeth, too.
- Americans spend $700 million on Valentine’s Day gifts for their pets.
- And 15% of American women send themselves flowers.
- In Russia, the Ukraine and former Soviet Union countries, if you plan to give a woman flowers, make sure you give her an odd number (not an even dozen typically given in America). Even numbers of flowers are reserved for grieving and funerals.