BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW:

Valentine’s day

1. With your partner, discuss the following questions. After, Watch the video
and check your answers.

a) What do americans do on Valentine’s Day?

b) What are the roots of Valentine’s Day?

( ) It originated from an ancient british festival.

( ) It originated from an ancient greek festival.

( ) It originated from an ancient roman festival.

c) Who was Saint Valentine?

( ) Politician

( ) Christian Cleric

( ) King

d) How many Valentine’s cards people send on Valentine’s day in the USA?

Complete the sentences with the missing information:

1. There's no doubt about it, Valentine's Day is one of America's most popular holidays. More than 62% of
Americans celebrate by sending ________________ _________ and flowers, giving candy or other gifts,
enjoying romantic dinners, or all three.

2. But the history behind Valentine's Day turns out to be somewhat surprising. For example, the roots of
Valentine's Day go all the way back to a raucous ancient Roman fertility ______________ held in mid-
February called, Lupercalia. Later, the Christian Church chose mid-February for Saint Valentine's Day in order
to christianize the celebration.
3. But who was Saint Valentine? Not much is known about the holiday's namesake. First of all, there was
more than just one Christian cleric named Valentine. One of them was sentenced to death for performing
______________ _______________ in secret after emperor Claudius II banned marriage for young Roman
men thinking single men made better soldiers.

4. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 as a day for honoring the soft-hearted Valentine at the end of the
____ ____________. It wasn't until the 1300's though, that the holiday became definitively associated with
love and romance. Back then, people believed that February 14th was also the beginning of birds' mating
season.

5. The first written Valentine greetings appeared in the 15th century and, by the 17th century, people in
_____________ _______________ had begun a tradition of exchanging Valentine's Day cards or letters.
Valentine's Day soon caught on in the U.S. as well. The first mass produced holiday cards emerged in the
1840's, and Valentine's Day soon exploded into a major consumer holiday.

6. Today, an estimated 1 billion Valentine cards are sent each year. More than on any other holiday, except for
Christmas. More than 35 million _______________ boxes of chocolate are sold, and more than 220 million
roses are produced for the holiday in a typical year. All together, Americans spend almost $20 billion on
Valentine's Day. Or, an average of some $130 per person per year.

7. While the most popular gifts were candy and flowers, nearly 20% of Americans splurge on jewelry, shelling
out as much as $4 billion annually. And those that prefer the ultimate romantic gesture, are definitely not
alone. A recent survey revealed that as many as 6 million couples are likely ______ ________________ on
February 14th, continuing a long, romantic history that we bet you didn't know!

3. What’s the most interesting information in your opinion?

4. Discuss the following questions with a partner:

a) Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?

b) What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a boyfriend / girlfriend?

c) What are the advantages and disadvantages of being single?

d) If you want to meet people in your country what can you do?

e) Is it easy or difficult to meet new people?

f) Which is more romantic: Sending a text message or writing a letter to someone you love?