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Valentine’s Day is slowly being redefined from a traditional ‘couples’ holiday to a celebration of love in all shapes and sizes.
But some traditional Valentine’s customs are still going strong and we put together a list of 14 things forever linked to this romantic holiday and added a few interesting facts for you to impress your Valentine.
1. When was the first Valentine's message sent?
In the 15th century, from prison
It was a poem written by Charles, the Duke of Orleans in 1415, while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. In the poem, he refers to his wife as his ‘Valentine’ in the line ‘I am already sick of love, My very gentle Valentine.’
2. What can help men live longer?
Kissing their wives in the morning
A 1980s psychological study done in Germany showed that kissing your wife in the morning can help you live up to 5 years longer.
The same study also found that leaving without a kiss can increase your chances of getting into a car accident!
3. What type of birds are lovebirds?
A parrot
Source: Mara 1 via Wikimedia Commons
Lovebird is the common name for the Agapornis bird, a small parrot native to Africa. They got their nickname due to their habit of coupling into monogamous pairs that spend a lot of time sitting together.
4. If you show your feelings easily, where do you wear your heart?
On your sleeve
The phrase originates from the Middle Ages when young people would draw names of their Valentine written on a piece of paper and then pin them to their sleeves for a week for everyone to see.
5. Who was responsible for the St Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago in 1929?
Al Capone
The massacre was a clash between the bootlegging gangs of Al Capone and Bugs Moran in their struggle to control organized crime during the Prohibition.
6. What color rose would you give to a friend for Valentine’s?
Yellow
The bright color is synonymous with happiness and getting a yellow rose lets your friend know that their friendship brings joy and energy into your life.
You and your friends can also travel to Finland, where Valentine’s is called Ystävänpäivä or ‘Friend’s day’. The emphasis there is on the love between friends, not lovers.
7. What’s the most popular flavor of candy on Valentine’s?
Caramels
According to the American National Confectioners Association, caramels are the most popular flavour, followed by chocolate-covered nuts, chocolate or cream-filled candies and coconut flavoured confectioneries.
8. What do women traditionally give men on Valentine’s Day in Japan?
Chocolates
While it’s tradition for women in Japan to buy chocolates for their loved ones, they are also expected to buy them for their male co-workers.
9. People with what job receive the most Valentine’s cards?
Elementary school teachers
The other top 5 to receive the most Valentine’s Cards are children, mothers, wives and pets.
10. What fruit is also known as the "love apple"?
Tomato
One of the theories is that due to their heart shape, tomatoes were considered an aphrodisiac and were named 'pomme d'amour' (love apple) by the French because of that.
11. Who was the legendary Benedictine monk whose name is synonymous with champagne?
Dom Perignon
He was a cellar master who pioneered several winemaking techniques that are now associated with modern-day champagne.
Among others, he was the first to blend different kinds of grapes, introduce corks instead of wood and use thicker glass in champagne bottles to withstand the pressure.
12. Besides being the patron saint of love, what is St. Valentine also a patron of?
Beekeepers
Besides protecting lovers, St. Valentine’s was also charged with ensuring the sweetness of honey and the protection of beekeepers.
13. Today the heart is the organ associated with love. Which internal organ was believed to cause love in the Middle Ages?
The liver
In Antiquity, Aristotle defined the heart as the seat of reason, which was generally accepted until the Roman physician Galen decided that the heart was responsible for all emotions, except for love, which resided in the liver.
14. ‘Ljubim te’ (Loobeem tae) is I LOVE YOU in what language?
Slovenian
The Slovenian language has two different expressions that let people define the depths of their love.
‘Ljubim te’ is reserved for your one true love, while ‘Rad te imam’ (radt tee iemam) is what you say to people you care about deeply, like your family and close friends.
