Weird fun facts about Valentine's Day

1. The ugly truth

In the Victorian era, people sent "Vinegar Valentines" to reject unwanted suitors. They were basically anti-Valentine anonymous cards filled with insulting poems and ugly drawings, designed to let the other person know you didn't like them. In the modern era, you just get ghosted.

2. Romance is dead (literally)

St. Valentine might be the patron saint of love, but he was never a romantic hero. He was actually decapitated on February 14th for secretly marrying couples against the Emperor's orders. And nothing says romance quite like a tragic end.

3. The birds, minus the bees

Valentine's Day had nothing to do with romance until the 1300s when poet Geoffrey Chaucer invented the romantic version of Valentine’s Day by linking the date to bird mating season.

4. Sealed with a kiss

Ever wonder why people use X as a symbol for a kiss? In the Middle Ages, many people couldn't read or write. When signing a legal document, they would simply draw an X (representing the Christian cross) as a sign of their oath. To show their sincerity and "seal the deal," they would then kiss the X. Over time, the X itself became the symbol for the kiss.

5. The love glove

It’s really not what it sounds like. In the 1800s, gifts were highly symbolic. For example, gifting someone gloves was understood as a proposal. If she wore them in public, she accepted the proposal. If not? Well, awkward.

6. Better safe than sorry

A 1980s psychological study done in Germany reported that if you kiss your partner before leaving for work in the morning, you're less likely to be involved in a car accident. This was later found to be a case of correlation, with other contributing factors... but better safe than sorry!

7. All you need is friends

In Finland and Estonia, February 14th is known as Friend’s Day. It's all about celebrating your friends with small meaningful gifts or gestures. The rest of the world is now catching up with Galentine's and Palentine's celebrations (and it's about time).

8. Puppy love

Americans spend over $1 billion a year on Valentine’s gifts for their pets. Which is totally reasonable, because a dog will never judge you for eating an entire box of chocolates all by yourself.

9. Wear your heart on your sleeve

All sayings have an origin story and this one comes from the Middle Ages. People used to draw names from a jar to find their Valentine and then pinned the name to their sleeve to show off their pick. That way everyone could see who they were paired with and no one was left without a Valentine of their own.