Ahh, Valentine's Day. The day the most flowers are delivered, where massive amounts of chocolates are consumed, and flowers are appearing on many a lucky lady's doorstep. Valentine's is time-honored as the most romantic day of the year, and as a result, lots of people get engaged on Valentine's.
This morning, if you watched the morning news show (like GMA), you probably heard all sorts of love stories, even saw a couple of proposals. Many of the guys got down on one knee, some wrote poems, others set up surprise engagement parties. The romantic at heart (ok, people with hearts in general!) can't help but get a little fuzzy looking at all the love everywhere.
But you may be wondering about the origins of Valentine's. The cynics like to say that Valentine's day is all about the commercialism of a Hallmark-card created holiday, but that's not true. Valentine's day was first celebrated in the year 400, and was originally a holiday declared by Pope Gelasis. There were several "Saint Valentines," but the one we know the most about was Valentine VIII. who was imprisoned and fell in love with his jailor's daughter. He's best remembered because on the day he was sentenced to death, he wrote his love a letter signed "Love, your Valentine." Talk about having a lasting impression.
But Valentine's Day has some contested origins, perhaps due in part to the many Valentines of the era, or some of the cultural understandings that motivated the holiday's declaration. For instance, in the Middle Ages, the mating season of birds was thought to begin around Feb 14. Perhaps that's why you see a lot of birds on holiday cards , like the one below
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Speaking of cards, the practice of sending (and receiving) paper Valentines began in England around the year 1600. These were mostly in the form of letters, but around the Victorian Era, the creation of unique cards became more mainstream. According to the American Antiquarian small books called Valentine Writers offered Valentine authors inspired sweet nothings and turns of phrases unique to the writer's career. This certainly set the bar for the modern day versions of holiday cards with cute phrases for the recipient.
Over 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are bought every year, and 85% are bought by women. 50% of that billion are cards purchased at the last minute, and 50% of the US population celebrate the holiday (even when they are not in a relationship)
Valentine's day is the #1 day to send fresh flowers, and usually, it's of the rose variety. In 2007, 214 million roses were purchased. According to Good Morning America, "Fresh Flowers make you feel more compassionate, boost energy [&] happiness, and promote[s] creativity." According to About Flowers.com 48% of those V-day flowers were red roses, (which symbolize love and passion). Pink roses? New courtship & romance; white: purity, and yellow? Symbolizes friendship. While all the ladies are buying the cards, 65% of flower purchases on Valentine's are made by guys, and of all the roses purchased, 74% are made by men over women.
Every year, the US Census complies data about how we, as Americans, celebrate the Valentine's Holiday. In 2006, 11% of Americans purchased jewelry for their loved ones on this loving holiday. While there's no clear number of what percentage of those purchases were engagement rings, it's a well-known fact that the most proposals occur at Valentine's and Christmas.
Seeking the perfect proposal? Check out Our Wedding Proposal where you can read inspirational stories about how other couples got engaged,
Well, that about wraps up our Valentine's day report. We hope you have a great day, filled with lots of flowers, touching greeting cards, and candy. And if you get a ring...well, we want to hear all about it! Post a comment on our blog & share your V-day story!
