TH E FAC T S O F LOV E

ST. VALENTINES DAY For every 100

HISTORY single women

in their 20s,
there are
120
>800 BC

single
A pastoral festival of
men.

LOVE
ritual cleansing called
Februa, is celebrated
on what becomes the

POTIONS
15th day of the
Roman month.

RINGS BILLIONS SPENT LAST ROSES

~400 - 800 BC

The Roman festival of

Lupercalia subsumes
the festival of Februa.
The first diamond
ring was given by
Archduke
YEAR IN THE US Number of roses
sold in the U.S. on
Valentine's Day:
AFRICA
yohimbe tree bark + hot water

Observed February Maximilian of

13 through 15, men
stripped naked,
grabbed whips, and
Austria to Mary of
Burgundy in 1477. 189M
= an increase in desire for men
spanked young and women
maidens to increase 67% of roses sold
health and fertility,
avert evil spirits, and
$10 $30 on Valentine's Day
are red.
purify the city. Wedding rings are CANDY
typically worn on GREETING UGANDA
gray crowned crane egg + herbs
the left hand
CARDS
270

On February 14, Saint because the ring

Valentine is executed finger on the left
hand contains the
by Emperor Claudis II
for performing vena amoris, or
the vein of love.
$15 = an increase in affection and
marriages in secret VALENTINES monogamy
after it was banned in
order to boost army DAY TOTAL The state that
enlistment. produces the
most cut roses:
EAST JAVA
$17 various concoction of herbs

$6.2 CALIFORNIA
500

St. Valentines Day is Stock traders with CHOCOLATE

officially established long ring fingers FLOWERS
by Pope Gelasius I at made up to 11
least 150 years after times more = jamu ramuan: which restores
Constantine made earnings than youth to women and makes them
Christianity the those with more desirable to their husbands
official religion of the average length
Roman Empire to ring fingers.
overshadow the
Pagan celebration of
CHRISTMAS VS. VALENTINES The state with the
highest marriage
Lupercalia. rate (per capita): DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
It would take 38 years of Valentines Day retail spend to amount to a single
year of Christmas spending rum + honey + red wine + tree bark
CALIFORNIA
1382

Valentines Day is first

associated with
romantic love by Married men who
Geoffrey Chaucer in wear a wedding = mama juana: gives an increase
Parlement of Fouls. in desire for men and women
band:
For this was Saint
Valentine's Day,
when every bird
cometh there to 1920
$566 ROMANIA
20%

choose his mate... $15 VS. snow + heat

1420

Today
The oldest surviving 80% InScotland, if a
Valentine is written white rose
bloomed in = magic potion used by young
by Charles, Duke of girls on Dragobete Day to ward
Orleans to his wife. autumn it was a
Average price of off illness for the rest of the year
I am already token of an early
an engagement
sick of love marriage.
ring in 2010:
My very gentle
Valentine...
$2100 HEARTS
FINLAND
blueberries + fermentation
y
In mathematics, the
1847

The seed of thesilphiumplant has been suggested

Dollars spent on implicit curve
The first mass- as the source of the heart symbol
engagement rings (x2+y2-1)3-x2y3=0
produced valentines
last year: yields an approxima-
are produced and x = Lappish love potion that gives
sold in the US by tion of the heart
Esther Howland. $4.4B shape. an increase in desire

APHRO-
1969

The feast day of Saint

Valentine is removed
CARDS AROUND THE WORLD
DISIACS
from the Roman Brazil celebrates Lovers In Finland, citizens
Catholic Calendar of
Saints.
15M e-valentines
Day, called Dia dos
Namorados, on June 12.
celebrate Friends Day
on February 14. Its not
190M traditional valentines
It happens to come right
after the feast of St.
just a day for
romance--its also a day
GREECE 700 B.C.
carrots
1996

The first e-valentine

is sent giving rise to a
1000M valentines including valentine-exchange
cards made in school
Anthony, known as the
saint of matrimony.
when friends send cards
and gifts to each other.
new tradition of MESOAMERICA A.D. 1400

CANDY
e-cards, love chocolate
coupons and
printable cards.
Americans eat 46 lbs of candy per year. Roughly
1/4 the body weight of an average person.
In Norfolk, Jack On February 14th,
Valentine, also known people in Bulgaria
2011

EUROPE 1800
The Iranian printing
as Old Father Valentine, celebrate Trifon Zarazan asparagus

works owners' union 8 Billion candy hearts will be produced this year. Laid end knocks on peoples (Viticulturists Day), a
issued a directive to end they would stretch for 250,000,000 feet. doors on the night centuries-old obser-
banning the printing before Valentines Day vance of the cult of
and distribution of CANDY HEARTS and leaves treats and Dionysius, the god of USA 1998
Viagra
any goods promoting presents and then wine and merriment.
the holiday. vanishes in the blink of
CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE EARTH
an eye.
Sources: Wikipedia, National Geographic, US Census Bureau