Interesting facts on Valentine's Day

1. The modern day celebration of Valentines Day is believed to begin in France and England.
2. The Christian martyr St. Valentine was beheaded on February 14 for performing marriages in secret.
3. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D.
4. In 1537, England's King Henry VII officially declared February 14th the holiday of St. Valentine's Day.
5. Research suggests that 75 percent of suicide attempts are attributable to relationship problems.
6. More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day.
7. In Medieval times, girls ate bizarre foods on St Valentine's Day to dream of their future spouse.
8. Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day in the U.S.
   
9. Research suggests that 75 percent of suicide attempts are attributable to relationship problems.
10. There was a belief in the Middle Ages that the first unmarried person (of the opposite sex) you met on the morning of St. Valentine's Day would become your spouse.
11. 46 percent of Americans will exchange Valentine’s Day candy.
12. The first Valentine’s Day card was sent by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. He remained a prisoner of war for the next twenty-four years.
13. A recent poll found that one in ten young adults admitted to feeling lonely, insecure, depressed, or unwanted on Valentine’s Day. And that’s just the ones that admitted it.
14. 73% of Valentine Day flowers are bought by men, whereas women buy only 23% of Valentine flowers.
15. Forty percent of people have negative feelings towards Valentine’s Day.
16. Around 3% of pet owners prefer to give Valentine gifts to their pets, as they are more grateful than humans.
17. The famous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, in which seven Chicago gangsters were gunned down on February 14, 1929, was one of the bloodiest in mob history (pictured above).
18. In oden times, some people believed that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.
19. The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Since red stands for strong feelings, red rose is a flower of love.
20. The heart is the most common symbol of romantic love. Ancient cultures believed the human soul lived in the heart and its red color is though to be the most romantic.
21. The first Valentine's Day box of chocolates was introduced by Richard Cadbury in 1868.