SOME VALENTINE’S DAY FACTOIDS

(Found some time ago at the Lovetingle website, which is now defunct.)

85% of all valentines are purchased by women.
Over 1 billion Valentine cards are sent in the U.S. each year.
Parents receive 20% of all valentines sent.
The biggest days for giving flowers are Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.
Valentines ranks second only to Christmas in number of greeting cards sent.
Over 50 million roses are given for Valentine’s Day each year worldwide.

CRAZY LOVE FACTS

In Kentucky, 50% of the people who get married for the first time are teenagers.
35% of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.
Impotence is grounds for divorce in 24 states in the United States.
In Frackville, Pennsylvania, a woman filed for divorce because her husband insisted on “shooting tin cans off of her head with a slingshot.”
Each year over 11,000 people are injured trying out new sexual positions.
People who have never been married are seven and a half times more likely to be admitted to a psychiatric facility than married people.
Percentage of runners who say they think about sex while running: 66%. Percentage who say they think about running while having sex: 8%.
The phrase “honeymoon” came from the Greeks. It was customary for the bride’s family to supply the groom with a full moons cycle (a month) of wedding wine, which tasted like honey.
Couples who marry in the months January, February, and March have the highest divorce rates.
Over 278 bacteria colonies are exchanged during a French kiss.
The world’s greatest lover was documented to be King Mongkut of Siam. He had 9,000 women in his harem.

VALENTINE HISTORY

Who is St. Valentine?

One story says Valentine was a priest who served during third century Rome. There was an Emperor at that time by the name of Claudius II. Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those that were married. With this thought in mind he outlawed marriage for young men in hopes of building a stronger military. Valentine decided this decree just wasn’t fair and chose to marry young couples secretly. When Emperor Claudius II found out about Valentine’s actions he had him put to death. Another legend claims Valentine was an imprisoned man who fell in love with his jailer’s daughter. Before he was put to death he sent the first ‘valentine’ himself when he wrote her a letter and signed it ‘Your Valentine,’ words still used on cards today.

What about Cupid?

In Latin, cupido means “desire.” In Roman mythology Cupid is the son of Venus, goddess of love. His counterpart in Greek mythology is Eros, god of love. Cupid is often said to be a mischievous boy who goes around shooting both gods and humans with his arrows, causing them to fall in love.