Enjoy your self and treat your loved one as if there was no tomorrow. Buy them the chocolate, or flowers, or the card. Don't let them forget how much you love them...... Russ Ravary
Valentine's day trivia and odd facts
One legend has it that Valentine´s Day originated to commemorate the anniversary of the death of St. Valentine, a Roman clergyman who was executed on Feb. 14, about 270 A.D., for secretly marrying couples in defiance of the emperor. He was beheaded. The Roman emperor had banned marriages because men were refusing to go to war because they wanted to stay home with their wifes.
Another theory is that it came from the ancient Romans. They celebrated the Feast of Lupercalia in honor of Juno, the queen of the Roman gods and goddesses on February 14. Juno was also the goddess of women and marriage
Another theory of how the holiday started is the holiday began as a Roman fertility festival. In England, the Romans, who had taken over the country, had introduced a pagan fertility festival held every February 14. After the Romans left England, nearly a century later, the pagan ritual was abolished by Pope Gelsius who established St. Valentine's Day as a celebration of love in 496 A.D.
In 1995, 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate were sold for Valentine's Day.
Received Valentine Flowers Of the 73% of people who buy Valentine's Day flowers are men, while only 27 percent are women.
A single perfect red rose framed with baby's breath is named by some florists as a "signature rose," and is the preferred choice for most for giving on Valentine's Day, anniversaries and birthdays.
The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. The color red stands for strong romantic feelings making the red rose the flower of love.
According to the condom company Durex, condom sales are highest around Valentine's Day, which are 20 percent to 30 percent higher than usual.
More at-home pregnancy tests are sold in March than in any other month.
In some remote mountain villages in the Romagna-Campanile region of Italy, Valentine's Day is still celebrated by the ancient Roman lottery in which each teenage boy draws the name of a teenage girl who will be his sex partner for the rest of the year.
A ring has been included in wedding ceremonies since the 12th century. Pope Innocent the Third ordained that marriages had to take place in church and that a wedding ring should be exchanged during the service.
Americans ate 24.7 pounds of candy each in 2004. Candy consumption has actually declined over the last few years; in 1997, each American gobbled or savored more than 27 pounds of candy a year.
Chocolate manufacturers currently use 40 percent of the world's almonds and 20 percent of the world's peanuts
This Valentine's Day, it's estimated that love-struck consumers will purchase over 36 million boxes of chocolate. Traditionally considered an aphrodisiac, chocolate has long been associated with romance and pleasure. Whether it is because of the release of serotonin following a bite or simply the delicious taste and smooth texture, we eat alot of chocolate.
Humorous valentines of the 19th century were called "Vinegar Valentines" or "Penny Dreadfuls." Vinegar Valentines were introduced in 1858 by John McLaughin, a Scotsman with a New York City Publishing Business. Penny Dreadfuls with comic designs drawn in 1870 by American cartoonists Charles Howard became known as Penny Dreadfuls.
The Empire State Building in New York City played a prominent role in the movie Sleepless in Seattle. This year 15 couples will take (or renew) their vows on the 80th floor of this famous landmark.
In the 1840s, Esther Howland is recognized as the first major seller of Valentines Days cards. Esthera was a native of Massachusetts. During the 1870s, her elaborate lace cards were purchased by the wealthy, as they cost a minimum of 5 dollars - some sold for as much as 35 dollars. Mass production eventually brought prices down, and the affordable "penny valentine" became popular with the lower classes.
Hallmark produced its first Valentine's Day card in 1913
Most of the cards are bought in the six days prior to Valentines Day. We must be Procrastinators on valentines Day
Today, Hallmark employs an 80-person research staff to analyze the sales pattern of previous valentines. That analysis, combined with more than 100,000 annual customer interviews, focus groups and in-store observations, will help create roughly 2,000 cards in Hallmark's core Valentine's Day line.
While Hallmark offers thousands of different cards for Valentine's Day, one card was the top choice of customers in New York, Los Angeles, and virtually every other city in the country in 2006.
This card, romantically named V330-5 by Hallmark, simply states: "Each time I see you, hold you, think of you, here's what I do ... I fall deeply, madly, happily in love with you. Happy Valentine's Day." (The card is the red one pictured below.)
Hallmark has over 1330 different cards specifically for Valentine's Day.
The average American will spend $119.67 on Valentine´s Day this year, up from $100.89 last year.
Men spend almost twice as much on Valentine´s Day as women do. This year, the average man will spend $156, while the average woman will only spend $85.
More than one-third of men would prefer not receiving a gift. Less than 20 percent of women feel the same way.
Around Valentine's day, a dozen long-stemmed roses can cost an average of $75, or about 30% more than the normal price of $58.
More than nine million pet owners are expected to buy gifts for their pets this Valentine's Day.
In 1929 in Chicago, gunmen in the suspected employment of organized-crime boss Al Capone murder seven members of the George "Bugs" Moran North Siders gang in a garage on North Clark Street. The so-called St. Valentine's Day Massacre stirred a media storm centered on Capone and his illegal Prohibition-era activities and motivated federal authorities to redouble their efforts to find evidence incriminating enough to take him off the streets. It is rumored that many of the hired hitmen were from Detrot's own infamous "Purple gang"
On February 14, 1933, Al Capone's widow started an ultimately unsuccessful petition to have the St. Valentine's Day Massacre downgraded to a "public disturbance."
Try Looking Here . . . Below are names of some romantic-sounding places:
Valentine, Neb.
Lovelady, Texas
Valentine, Texas
Loving County, Texas
Loveland, Colo.
Lovington, N.M.
Lovejoy, Ga.
Loving, N.M.
Loves Park, Ill.
Love County, Okla.
Lovelock, Nev.
Lovington, Ill.
Love Valley, N.C.
Romeo, Colo.
Loveland, Ohio
Romeo, Mich.
Loveland Park, Ohio
Romeoville, Ill.
Loveland, Okla.
In the United States, 64 percent of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine's Day with their sweethearts
The number of marriages performed in Nevada during 2004 is 145,800. So many couples "tie the knot" in the Silver State that it ranked fourth nationally in marriages, even though its total population that year among states was 35th.
The estimated U.S. median ages at first marriage for women is 25.8 years and for men is 27.4 years in 2004. The age for women rose 4.7 years in the last three decades. The age for men at first marriage is up 4.3 years.
54% and 57% The percentages of American women and men, respectively, who are 15 or older and currently married (includes those who are separated).
Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone, an "Improvement in Telegraphy", on Valentine's Day, 1876.
The first photograph of a U.S. President was taken on February 14, 1849 by Matthew Brady in New York City. President James Polk was the subject of the famous picture. .
During the late 1800s, postage rates around the world dropped, and the obscene St. Valentine's Day card became popular, despite the Victorian era being otherwise very prudish. As the numbers of racy valentines grew, several countries banned the practice of exchanging Valentine's Days cards. During this period, Chicago's post office rejected more than 25,000 cards on the grounds that they were so indecent, they were not fit to be carried through the U.S. mail.
There are 4.7 million couples of opposite sex that live together who maintained households in 2004. These couples comprised 4.2 percent of all households. $43 million is the combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut roses in 2004 for all businesses in 36 states with $100,000 or more in sales. Among all types of cut flowers, roses were second in receipts to lilies ($78 million).
During the Middle Ages, the belief that birds chose their mates on St. Valentine's Day led to the idea that boys and girls would do the same. Up through the early 1900s, the Ozark hill people in the eastern United States thought that birds and rabbits started mating on February 14, a day for them which was not only Valentine's Day but Groundhog Day as well.
There are 22,022 florists nationwide in 2003. These businesses employed 113,270 people.
Longest marriage: Sir Temulji Bhicaji Nariman and Lady Nariman were married for 86 years before Sir Temulji died at age 91 in 1940 in India. The marriage took place when they were both 5 years old. Also married for 86 years were Lazarus Rowe and Molly Webber, both born in 1725 and married in 1743." Per my calculations, Lazarus and Molly were 18 when they got married. They both lived to be at least 104. The first couple were married at 5 years old... In India there are many arranged marraiges. They actually don't start living together until they are in their teens.
There are 6,000 weddings a day in the US.. That is over 2 million a year!
Cupid is a symbol of Valentine´s Day. Cupid was associated with Valentine´s Day because he was the son of Venus, the Roman god of love and beauty. Cupid often appears on Valentine cards and gift tokens holding a bow and arrows as he is believed to use magical arrows to arouse feelings of love. There also another theory on Cupid which is: In Rome around the time of Tiberius, children were taught archery from a young age, and for sport, some would sneak naked into bath houses and shoot people with their toy arrows. This was the origin of "Cupid" -- Latin for "accursed child."
Valentines Day was declared an official holiday in 1537 by King Henry VIII.
Hallmark has over 1,300 different Valentine's Day cards.
The first Valentine's Day card was sent by the imprisoned Duke of Orlean to his wife in 1415
In Victorian times it was considered bad luck to sign a Valentine's Day card. I myself think that they were just being cheap and resending the card.
The city of Verona in Italy, setting of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet'( where they supposedly lived), receives over 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every year. Young and Looking for Love There are 120 single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) who are in their 20s for every 100 single women of the same ages. Corresponding numbers for the following race and ethnic groups are: Hispanics: 153 men per 100 women Asians (single race): 132 men per 100 women (This ratio is not significantly different from that for Hispanics or non-Hispanic whites.) Non-Hispanic whites (single race): 120 men per 100 women Blacks (single race): 92 men per 100 women (The numbers of black men and women in this age group are not significantly different from one another
Over 80 million roses are sold worldwide on Valentine's Day.
Approximately 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are sold in the US every year and the US also holds the record for the biggest heart-shaped chocolate box which was 15ft tall, 15ft wide and weighed over 1,300lbs.
There are 33 single men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced) age 65 or older for every 100 single women of the same ages. Corresponding numbers for the following race and ethnic groups are: Hispanics: 38 men per 100 women Non-Hispanic whites (single race): 33 men per 100 women Blacks (single race): 33 men per 100 women Asians (single race): 28 men per 100 women (Note: None of the ratios for the individual groups differ significantly from one another nor from the ratio for all people age 65 or older
15% of women in the US send themselves flowers on Valentines.
California produces 60 percent of American roses, but the vast number sold on Valentine's Day in the United States are imported, mostly from South America. Approximately 110 million roses, the majority red, will be sold and delivered within a three-day time period.
Only the U.S., Canada, Mexico, France, Australia and the U.K. celebrate Valentine's Day.
In America, the pilgrims used to sent confections, such as sugar wafers, marzipan, sweetmeats and sugar plums, to their affianced. Lot of value was placed on these gifts because they included what was then a rare product, sugar. After the late 1800's, beet sugar became widely used and more available, and sweet gifts continued to be cherished and enjoyed
Top Ways to Celebrate Valentine´s Day
Household participation rates
Greeting Cards
65%
Plush
21%
Date Night
44%
Other Gifts
17%
Candy
38%
Perfume/Cologne
12%
Flowers
32%
Jewelry
11%
Gift Cards
29%
Every year around 180 milliion are bought not including what are bought by Children. They estimate over 1 billion Valentine Cards are exchanged when you include children. After Christmas it´s a single largest seasonal card-sending occasion.
About 40% of all Valentine card purchases are bought by parents
Teachers receive the most Valentine's Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts. Children between ages 6 to 10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine's cards with teachers, classmates, and family members. Remember those days of filling out all those cards and coming home with a box of cards. It was an exciting day with the little heart candies.
Sweethearts actual receive the least amount of Valentines Cards
Parents get 1 out of every 5 valentines
Over 1 billion dollars is spent on chocolate for Valentine's Day in the US every year.
A natural aphrodisiac? As an elixir for love, chocolate has been believed throughout history to bring smiles to the broken-hearted and to prompt amorous feelings in both men and women. It is believed that Madame Du Barry served it to all her suitors; Casanova consumed chocolate instead of champagne to induce romance; and Montezuma, the king of the ancient Aztecs, believed chocolate would make him virile. In the 1800´s physicians commonly advised their lovelorn patients to eat chocolate to calm their pining.
The phrase "Sweets for the sweet" is a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act 5, Scene 1.
In Japan, women are expected to give chocolate and other gifts to men on Valentine's Day. This tradition was started as a marketing campaign by Japanese chocolate companies. Men are not off the hook, unfortunately. They are expected to return the favor on March 14th, commonly known as White Day
The oldest surviving love poem till date is written in a clay tablet from the times of the Sumerians, inventors of writing, around 3500 B.C.
The Catholic Church struck St. Valentine´s Day from its official calendar in 1969.
Men and women in northeastern states generally have a higher median age at first marriage than the national average. In Massachusetts, for example, women were a median of 27.4 years old and men 29.1 years of age at first marriage. States where people typically marry young include Utah, where women were a median of 21.9 years and men, 23.9 years.
The 17th century a hopeful maiden ate a hard-boiled egg and pinned five bay leaves to her pillow before going to sleep on Valentine's eve. It was believed this would make her dream of her future husband.
One-third of all Valentine cards are accompanied by gifts. The most expensive cards are usually sold in the 48 hours prior to Valentines day
Romantic cards are the best-sellers. Victorian era-influenced cards are prominent this year
An estimated 25 percent of Valentine's Day cards are humorous
The Roman feast of Lupercalia was held on February 14th in honour of Juno, the Goddess of women and marriage.
Conversation Hearts: In 1866, candy manufacturer NECCO made the first "Conversation Hearts" - then called "Motto Hearts." According to NECCO, eight billion of these little candies are sold between January 1 and February 14
It's a custom in Wales to send an intricately carved wooden spoon to one's love on Valentines. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favorite Valentine Decorations on the wooden spoons. This Valentine decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"
3% of pet owners in the US send their pets a Valentine's card.
Valentine's Day is the fourth biggest holiday of the year for confectionery purchases (after Halloween, Easter and Christmas).
American men say they'd rather receive chocolate than flowers on Valentine's Day, especially those over the age of 50. Sixty-eight percent of men age 50 or older say they'd prefer receiving chocolate over flowers from their sweetheart on Valentine's Day, while just 22% said they'd rather have the flowers.
In the United States, 64 percent of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine's Day with their sweethearts.
In the middle ages, people would pin the name of their sweetheart to their sleeve on Valentine's Day and keep it there for a week, hence 'wearing their heart on their sleeve'.
In the Middle Ages young men and women drew the names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine. They would wear this name pinned on their sleeves for one week. This was done so that it becomes easy for other people to know your true feelings. This was known as "to wear your heart on your sleeve".
According to superstition, if the first bird you see on Valentine's Day is a Robin, you'll marry a sailor. If it's a Sparrow, you'll marry a poor man and if it's a Goldfinch, you'll marry a wealthy man.
In China, Valentine's Day is celebrated on the 7th day or the 7th month of the Chinese calendar.
Valentine's Day is big business. Consumers will spend an average of $77.43 on Valentine's Day gifts this year. E-commerce retailers expect to rack up about $650 million in sales of food, candy, flowers, and other Valentine's Day gifts. Of that amount about $350 million will be for gifts and flowers and another $45 million will be spent on food (including chocolate) and wine.
The origin of the letter 'X' symbolising kisses comes from the Middle Ages when people who couldn't write would sign documents with an X and then kiss it for sincerity.
The "I Love You" computer virus was detected in Hong Kong on May 1, 2000. In four days the virus had mutated into three different generations. Figures by Trend Micro Inc. showed that "I Love You" had infected 3.1 million computers worldwide.
The most beautiful and incredible gift of love is the monument Taj Mahal in India. Built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan as a memorial to his wife it stands as the emblem of the eternal love story. Work on the Taj Mahal began in 1634 and continued for almost 22 years and required the labor of 20,000 workers from all over India and Central Asia.
Wearing a wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand dates back to ancient Egypt, where it was believed that the vein of love ran from this finger directly to the heart.
Over 930 million dollars is spent on Valentine's cards in the US every year.
In medieval times, they believed that birds and bees chose their mates on Valentine's Day and talk of 'the birds and the bees' continues today.
Sir Alexander Fleming was a young bacteriologist when an accidental discovery led to one of the great developments of modern medicine. Having left a plate of staphylococcus bacteria uncovered, Fleming noticed that a mold that had fallen on the culture had killed many of the bacteria. He identified the mold as penicillium notatum, similar to the kind found on bread. On February 14, 1929, Fleming introduced his mold by-product called penicillin to cure bacterial infections.
An old Ukrainian custom dictates that women make sachets out of lovers' flowers after Valentine's Day. So the women who leave their men after Valentine's Day even after receiving such gifts are said to "come out smelling like a rose."
Valentine's Day Poems
Poems How Do I Love Thee? By Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of every day's most quiet need, by sun and candlelight. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise . I love with a passion put to use in my old grief, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose with my lost saints; I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life! And, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.
Valentine's day Famous deaths, births, and weddings
Deaths and Births
On February 14, 1779, Captain James Cook, the great English explorer and navigator, was murdered by natives of Hawaii during his third visit to the Pacific island group.
Famous Valentine's Day weddings: The Captain and Tennille, Elton John and Renate Blauel, Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, Jerry Garcia and Deborah Koons, and (1995) Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. (1994), Roseanne, of Rosanne & Ben Thomas, her ex-bodyguard. Her red-velvet Richard Tyler dress was embroidered with "Ben and Roseanne") (1996), Prince/The Artist married Mayte Garcia. (1998) Sharon Stone & Phil Bronstein, San Francisco Examiner Executive Editor
Famous Valentine's Day birthdays: Frederick Douglass (1817), Jack Benny (1894), Jimmy Hoffa (1913), Hugh Downs (1921), Florence Henderson (1943), Carl Bernstein (1944), Tim Buckley (1946), Gregory Hines (1946), Jules Asner (1968), Rob Thomas (1972), Steve McNair (1973).
A guy walks into a post office one day to see a middle-aged, balding man standing at the counter methodically placing "Love" stamps on bright pink envelopes with hearts all over them. He then takes out a perfume bottle and starts spraying scent all over them.
His curiosity getting the better of him, he goes up to the balding man and asks him what he is doing. The man says, "I'm sending out 1,000 Valentine cards signed, 'Guess who?'"
Be a love and give Russ Ravary a call. It will be sweet when you are in your new house and the flowers are blooming. Let Russ help you sell your houseor help you find the homeof your dreams
I hope you enjoyed all the holiday trivia. If you are searching for Michigan Homes for Sale. Some people may be looking for Livonia Real estate, or Novi Real estate, but where ever you want to look you cansearch the Michigan MLS right here on my site. I have buyer tips, sellers tips and other useful information to help you relocate to Michigan or just move within Michigan. Whether you are looking for Livingston County homes for sale, Wayne County homes for sale, or Oakland County homes for sale I can help you narrow your search and help find your dream home at a price you want. I have city info and school information that includes Redford, Garden City, Canton, Novi, Plymouth, Northville, South Lyon, Livonia and many more. Enjoy my site and feel free to contact me to help buy a Michigan home or sell a home. I'll work hard for you.
Russ Ravary is a licensed real estate agent in the State of Michigan and a Realtor.
Photos, Comp and Listing Information Courtesy of Realcomp II Ltd, Properties shown have been listed and sold by various MLS member REALTOR® agents.
I do not guarantee or warrantee any of the above information. Please feel free to verify any of the facts. I recommend to always have a home inspection, always consult an attorney about contracts, Purchase agreements and any legal questions. Also consult a CPA or accountant about tax consequence regarding a Michigan home sale, or Michigan foreclosure.
