Hello, as you know soon it will be St. Valentine's Day. Of course I think this holiday is not so important as New Year’s Day or Easter for example, but we must follow such traditions which people have brought to us from the past. So, my dear friends, if you have your lovers, I wish you happiness and mutual understanding. And spend this day somehow special and together!!!))

  There are various theories on the origin of Valentine's Day, but the most popular dates back to the time of the Roman Empire during the reign of Claudius II, 270 AD. Claudius didn't want men to marry during wartime because he believed single men made better soldiers. Bishop Valentine went against his wishes and performed secret wedding ceremonies. For this, Valentine was jailed and then executed by order of the Emperor on February 14. While in jail, he wrote a love note to the jailor's daughter signing it, "From your Valentine."

 

Many believe the 'X' symbol became synonymous with the kiss in medieval times. People who couldn't write their names signed in front of a witness with an 'X.' The 'X' was then kissed to show their sincerity.

In 1537, England's King Henry VII officially declared February 14th the holiday of St. Valentine's Day.

 

Richard Cadbury produced the first box of chocolates for Valentine's Day in the late 1800's.

More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day.

Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day in the U.S.

 

73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.

15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day.

The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love.

Red roses are considered the flower of love because the color red stands for strong romantic feelings.

189 million stems of roses are sold in the U.S. on Valentine's Day.

 

The most fantastic gift of love is the Taj Mahal in India. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan as a memorial to his wife.

Every Valentine's Day, the Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet.

About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets.

 Happy Valentine's Day!