Valentines Day: Bet You Didn't Know...
So who is this Valentine chap? Gavin O'Callaghan explores the origins of this day, and some interesting facts to go with it...
There are many rumours to the origins of our favourite friend St Valentine, the most popular one being the story of Roman Emperor Claudius II who noticed that out of all of his soldiers, the single ones made batter warriors so being the lad he is, he outlawed marriage in young men. Valentine then took law into his own hands and performed marriages in secret before eventually getting caught and executed. Upon Valentine's death, he signed off his final letter saying ''From Your Valentine'', a phrase that has remained popular to this present day.
If only Valentine had known that both the men and women of the world are now doomed to spending money on overpriced cards, flowers and chocolates and now with the diamond industry trying to claw their way into the picture its all getting too much. And on top of this any guy who supports Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, or Newcastle, I'm afraid your going to miss it.
So lets look at the facts of this ''Hallmark Holiday''
-Every year around 1 billion Valentine cards are sent across. After Christmas it's a single largest seasonal card-sending occasion.
-Teachers receive the most Valentine's Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts. Children between ages 6 to 10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine's cards with teachers, classmates, and family members.
-The heart has been the most common figure of romantic love over the decades. Ancient cultures believed the human soul lived in the heart.
-In Korea, if you do not receive any gift on Valentine's day then all the singles go to Korean restaurants and eat black noodles to mourn their single status.... Nice Korea, real nice.
-Many believe the X symbol became synonymous with the kiss in medieval times. Illerate folk who couldn't write their names signed in front of a witness with an X. The X was then kissed to show their sincerity.......Luv Ya Joan of Arc yer bleedin masso XOXOXOX
-More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day, each one stemming from the original introduction in 1868 by Richard Cadbury.
-15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day... Wow.
-About 3% of pet owners in the US will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets....
-In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine. They would wear this name pinned onto their sleeves for one week for everyone to see. This was the origin of the expression "to wear your heart on your sleeve.".........Keys in the Fruit Bowl please.