by Nancy Quinn

Created on: December 09, 2009

Valentine's Day, a day anticipated by young and old alike, is the official day to express your care for others with the exchange of cards, chocolates and flowers among other thoughtful expressions. After Christmas, it is the single largest seasonal card-sending occasion with around one billion cards traveling through the mail and Internet lines. This information is most likely not surprising to the reader, but the following little known facts about this heart-themed holiday may surprise you, as well as give you a glimpse into the beginnings of this much celebrated yearly tradition.

♥Teachers receive the most Valentine cards. As classrooms across the nation take a break from their busy school day to share Valentine cards and enjoy games and delicious treats, it’s nice to know students remember to honor their dedicated teachers on this special day.

♥Long ago, Valentine's Day had unique traditions and superstitions such as girls eating bizarre foods so they could dream about their future spouse in medieval times. And many who lived during the Middle Ages believed that the first unmarried person of the opposite sex that you met on the morning of Valentine's Day would become your spouse.

♥Only 27 percent of women buy flowers on Valentine's Day for that special someone. Men flock to florist shops to choose their Valentine flowers as the most popular expression of their love for that special someone. The "signature rose", or a perfect red rose framed in baby's breath, is the most popular choice as a floral gift. When choosing roses, most men choose red to symbolize their love since that was the favorite flower of the Roman goddess of love, Venus.

♥Cupid has long been associated with Valentine's Day with his cherub-like face displayed on cards and decorative items. The reason for his popularity as a symbol for Valentine's Day now is because he is the son of the Roman god of love and beauty.

♥The term "wearing your heart on your sleeve" began long ago in the Middle Ages.  Young men and women would draw names from a bowl to see who their Valentine would be. They would then pin that name on their sleeves for one week to show others who they had feelings for.

♥The post office of Verona, Italy fills each year with over 1,000 letters on Valentine's Day. Verona is where Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet lived, and letters are sent to Juliet.

♥American pilgrims sent confections to their Valentines as well. These were especially valued as a treasured gift because sugar was such a rare commodity during that time. After the 1800’s, beet sugar was more available and was substituted for sugar so gifts could still be enjoyed by many people.

♥A sweet custom in Wales was the tradition of carving keys and keyholes into wooden spoons and giving it as a gift on Valentine's Day. These symbols meant "you unlock my heart".

So whether your custom is to choose a beautiful card, flowers, chocolates or jewelry as Valentine gifts, know that you are continuing a centuries-long tradition in expressing your care for the special people in your life on this official day dedicated to love.

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