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| This page is full of information tidbits about the next holiday. Please email us if you have something fun to add. |
| "Did you know?" |
| 801-969-9397 info@utahfunnygirl.com |
15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day.
73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.
About 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are exchanged each year. That's the largest seasonal card-sending occasion of
the year, next to Christmas.
About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets.
Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone, an "Improvement in Telegraphy", on Valentine's Day,
1876.
California produces 60 percent of American roses, but the vast number sold on Valentine's Day in the United States are
imported, mostly from South America. Approximately 110 million roses, the majority red, will be sold and delivered within
a three-day time period.
Cupid, another symbol of Valentines Day, became associated with it because he was the son of Venus, the Roman god
of love and beauty. Cupid often appears on Valentine cards holding a bow and arrows because he is believed to use
magical arrows to inspire feelings of love.
During the late 1800s, postage rates around the world dropped, and the obscene St. Valentine's Day card became
popular, despite the Victorian era being otherwise very prudish. As the numbers of racy valentines grew, several
countries banned the practice of exchanging Valentine's Days cards. During this period, Chicago's post office rejected
more than 25,000 cards on the grounds that they were so indecent, they were not fit to be carried through the U.S. mail.
During the Middle Ages, the belief that birds chose their mates on St. Valentine's Day led to the idea that boys and girls
would do the same. Up through the early 1900s, the Ozark hill people in the eastern United States thought that birds
and rabbits started mating on February 14, a day for them which was not only Valentine's Day but Groundhog Day as
well.
February 14, 270 A.D. : Roman Emperor Claudius II, dubbed "Claudius the Cruel," beheaded a priest named Valentine
for performing marriage ceremonies. Claudius II had outlawed marriages when Roman men began refusing to go to war
in order to stay with their wives.
Hallmark has over 1330 different cards specifically for Valentine's Day.
Humorous valentines of the 19th century were called "Vinegar Valentines" or "Penny Dreadfuls." Vinegar Valentines
were introduced in 1858 by John McLaughin, a Scotsman with a New York City Publishing Business. Penny Dreadfuls
with comic designs drawn in 1870 by American cartoonists Charles Howard became known as Penny Dreadfuls.
In 1929 in Chicago, gunmen in the suspected employment of organized-crime boss Al Capone murder seven members
of the George "Bugs" Moran North Siders gang in a garage on North Clark Street. The so-called St. Valentine's Day
Massacre stirred a media storm centered on Capone and his illegal Prohibition-era activities and motivated federal
authorities to redouble their efforts to find evidence incriminating enough to take him off the streets.
In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would
wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other
people to know how you are feeling.
In the United States, 64 percent of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine's Day with their
sweethearts.
In Victorian times it was considered bad luck to sign a Valentine's Day card.
In Wales, wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were
favorite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"
It wasn't until 1537 that St. Valentine's Day was declared an official holiday. England's King Henry VIII declared
February 14th a holiday.
On February 14, 1779, Captain James Cook, the great English explorer and navigator, was murdered by natives of
Hawaii during his third visit to the Pacific island group.
One single perfect red rose framed with baby's breath is referred to by some florists as a "signature rose," and is the
preferred choice for many for giving on Valentine's Day, anniversary, or birthday.
Only the U.S., Canada, Mexico, France, Australia and the U.K. celebrate Valentine's Day.
Sir Alexander Fleming was a young bacteriologist when an accidental discovery led to one of the great developments of
modern medicine. Having left a plate of staphylococcus bacteria uncovered, Fleming noticed that a mold that had fallen
on the culture had killed many of the bacteria. He identified the mold as penicillium notatum, similar to the kind found on
bread. On February 14, 1929, Fleming introduced his mold by-product called penicillin to cure bacterial infections.
Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry
a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry
a millionaire.
Teachers will receive the most Valentine's Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts.
Children ages 6 to 10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine's cards with teachers, classmates, and family members.
The "I Love You" computer virus was detected in Hong Kong on May 1, 2000. In four days the virus had mutated into
three different generations. Figures by Trend Micro Inc. showed that "I Love You" had infected 3.1 million computers
worldwide.
The 17th century a hopeful maiden ate a hard-boiled egg and pinned five bay leaves to her pillow before going to sleep
on Valentine's eve. It was believed this would make her dream of her future husband.
The ancient Romans celebrated the Feast of Lupercalia in honor of Juno, the queen of the Roman gods and
goddesses on February 14. Juno was also the goddess of women and marriage.
The Empire State Building in New York City played a prominent role in the movie Sleepless in Seattle. This year 15
couples will take (or renew) their vows on the 80th floor of this famous landmark.
The first American publisher of valentines was printer and artist Esther Howland. During the 1870s, her elaborate lace
cards were purchased by the wealthy, as they cost a minimum of 5 dollars - some sold for as much as 35 dollars. Mass
production eventually brought prices down, and the affordable "penny valentine" became popular with the lower classes.
The first photograph of a U.S. President was taken on February 14, 1849 by Matthew Brady in New York City. President
James Polk was the subject of the famous picture. .
The first televised tour of the White House aired on February 14 in 1962. First Lady Jackie Kennedy hosted the tour.
The heart is the most common symbol of romantic love. Ancient cultures believed the human soul lived in the heart.
Others thought it to be the source of emotion and intelligence. Some believed the heart embodied a man's truth,
strength and nobility. The heart may be associated with love because the ancient Greeks believed it was the target of
Eros, known as Cupid to the Romans. Anyone shot in the heart by one of Cupid's arrows would fall hopelessly in love.
Because the heart is so closely linked to love, it's red colour is thought to be the most romantic.
The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed
to Juliet every Valentine's Day.
The Kama Sutra is believed to be the oldest sex manual in existence. Generally considered the standard work on love
in Sanskrit literature, the book is thought to have been written around 300 A.D.
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, who died in childbirth. Work on the Taj began in 1634 and continued for almost 22 years. required the labor of
20,000 workers from all over India and Central Asia.
The oldest known Valentines were sent in 1415 A.D. by the Duke of Orleans to his French wife while he was imprisoned
in the Tower of London. It is still on display in a museum in England.
The oldest surviving love poem is written in a clay tablet from the times of the Sumerians, inventors of writing, around
3500 B.C. It was unromantically named Istanbul #2461 by the archeologists who unearthed it.
The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Red stands for strong feelings which is why
a red rose is a flower of love.
Valentine's Day is big business. Consumers will spend an average of $77.43 on Valentine's Day gifts this year.
E-commerce retailers expect to rack up about $650 million in sales of food, candy, flowers, and other Valentine's Day
gifts. Of that amount about $350 million will be for gifts and flowers and another $45 million will be spent on food
(including chocolate) and wine.
Wearing a wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand dates back to ancient Egypt, where it was believed that the
vein of love ran from this finger directly to the heart.
A ring has been included in wedding ceremonies since the 12th century. Pope Innocent the Third ordained that
marriages had to take place in church and that a wedding ring should be exchanged during the service.
In England, the Romans, who had taken over the country, had introduced a pagan fertility festival held every February
14. After the Romans left England, nearly a century later, the pagan ritual was abolished by Pope Gelsius who
established St. Valentine's Day as a celebration of love in 496 A.D.
In America, the pilgrims sent confections, such as sugar wafers, marzipan, sweetmeats and sugar plums, to their
betrothed. Great value was placed on these gifts because they included what was then a rare commodity, sugar. After
the late 1800's, beet sugar became widely used and more available, and sweet gifts continued to be valued and
enjoyed.
Chocolate manufacturers currently use 40 percent of the world's almonds and 20 percent of the world's peanuts.
February Weddings of famous and historic people
February 8, 1807, #8 US President Martin Van Buren & Hannah Hoes
February 7, 1931, Famous female aviator Amelia Earhart & Geot Putnam
February 16, 1963, 50's & 60's Teenage heart throb Paul Anka & Marie Ann Alison DeZogheb
February 14, 1974, The Captain and Tennille were married.
February 14, 1984, Elton John and Renate Blauel
February 14, 1991, Leeza Gibbons, talk show queen & Stephen Meadows
February 14, 1991, Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid
February 6, 1994, Brian Wilson, Beach Boys Founder & Melinda Ledbetter. Band mates and children attended the
festivities.
February 14, 1994 Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia (51) wed Deborah Koons
February 14, 1994, Roseanne, of Rosanne & Ben Thomas, her ex-bodyguard. Her red-velvet Richard Tyler dress was
embroidered with "Ben and Roseanne")
February 19, 1995, Pamela Anderson, Baywatch & Tommy Lee, Rock star
February 14, 1996, Prince/The Artist married Mayte Garcia.
February 15, 1996, Gong Li, Chinese actress, Raise the Red Lantern & Farewell My concubine. & Hoe Seong. She first
denied the ceremony took place, and later had a reception in November. For the actual ceremony she wore a green
polo shirt and slacks, for the November reception at Hong Kong's China Club she wore an off-white embroidered
western style dress before changing into a Chinese gown of figure- hugging red velvet.
February 14, 1998, Sharon Stone & Phil Bronstein, San Francisco Examiner Executive Editor. They had 120 guests
including Melanie Griffith & James woods, who thought they were coming for a Valentine's party at Sharon's estate.
Gospel Choir sang "Amazing Grace" And the groom following Jewish custom broke a glass underfoot. Sharon wore a
pink bias-cut Vera Wang gown.
February 22, 1998, Tori Amos, singer & Mark Hawley, British sound engineer. She wore a floor-length silver cape over
her ice-blue gown. February 24, 1992 Kurt Cobain & Diva Courtney Love
February 14, 1999 Actress Diane Ladd & Robert Charles Hunter (Della Reese, Touched by an Angel, performed the
ceremony)
73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.
About 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are exchanged each year. That's the largest seasonal card-sending occasion of
the year, next to Christmas.
About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets.
Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone, an "Improvement in Telegraphy", on Valentine's Day,
1876.
California produces 60 percent of American roses, but the vast number sold on Valentine's Day in the United States are
imported, mostly from South America. Approximately 110 million roses, the majority red, will be sold and delivered within
a three-day time period.
Cupid, another symbol of Valentines Day, became associated with it because he was the son of Venus, the Roman god
of love and beauty. Cupid often appears on Valentine cards holding a bow and arrows because he is believed to use
magical arrows to inspire feelings of love.
During the late 1800s, postage rates around the world dropped, and the obscene St. Valentine's Day card became
popular, despite the Victorian era being otherwise very prudish. As the numbers of racy valentines grew, several
countries banned the practice of exchanging Valentine's Days cards. During this period, Chicago's post office rejected
more than 25,000 cards on the grounds that they were so indecent, they were not fit to be carried through the U.S. mail.
During the Middle Ages, the belief that birds chose their mates on St. Valentine's Day led to the idea that boys and girls
would do the same. Up through the early 1900s, the Ozark hill people in the eastern United States thought that birds
and rabbits started mating on February 14, a day for them which was not only Valentine's Day but Groundhog Day as
well.
February 14, 270 A.D. : Roman Emperor Claudius II, dubbed "Claudius the Cruel," beheaded a priest named Valentine
for performing marriage ceremonies. Claudius II had outlawed marriages when Roman men began refusing to go to war
in order to stay with their wives.
Hallmark has over 1330 different cards specifically for Valentine's Day.
Humorous valentines of the 19th century were called "Vinegar Valentines" or "Penny Dreadfuls." Vinegar Valentines
were introduced in 1858 by John McLaughin, a Scotsman with a New York City Publishing Business. Penny Dreadfuls
with comic designs drawn in 1870 by American cartoonists Charles Howard became known as Penny Dreadfuls.
In 1929 in Chicago, gunmen in the suspected employment of organized-crime boss Al Capone murder seven members
of the George "Bugs" Moran North Siders gang in a garage on North Clark Street. The so-called St. Valentine's Day
Massacre stirred a media storm centered on Capone and his illegal Prohibition-era activities and motivated federal
authorities to redouble their efforts to find evidence incriminating enough to take him off the streets.
In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would
wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other
people to know how you are feeling.
In the United States, 64 percent of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine's Day with their
sweethearts.
In Victorian times it was considered bad luck to sign a Valentine's Day card.
In Wales, wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were
favorite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"
It wasn't until 1537 that St. Valentine's Day was declared an official holiday. England's King Henry VIII declared
February 14th a holiday.
On February 14, 1779, Captain James Cook, the great English explorer and navigator, was murdered by natives of
Hawaii during his third visit to the Pacific island group.
One single perfect red rose framed with baby's breath is referred to by some florists as a "signature rose," and is the
preferred choice for many for giving on Valentine's Day, anniversary, or birthday.
Only the U.S., Canada, Mexico, France, Australia and the U.K. celebrate Valentine's Day.
Sir Alexander Fleming was a young bacteriologist when an accidental discovery led to one of the great developments of
modern medicine. Having left a plate of staphylococcus bacteria uncovered, Fleming noticed that a mold that had fallen
on the culture had killed many of the bacteria. He identified the mold as penicillium notatum, similar to the kind found on
bread. On February 14, 1929, Fleming introduced his mold by-product called penicillin to cure bacterial infections.
Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry
a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry
a millionaire.
Teachers will receive the most Valentine's Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts.
Children ages 6 to 10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine's cards with teachers, classmates, and family members.
The "I Love You" computer virus was detected in Hong Kong on May 1, 2000. In four days the virus had mutated into
three different generations. Figures by Trend Micro Inc. showed that "I Love You" had infected 3.1 million computers
worldwide.
The 17th century a hopeful maiden ate a hard-boiled egg and pinned five bay leaves to her pillow before going to sleep
on Valentine's eve. It was believed this would make her dream of her future husband.
The ancient Romans celebrated the Feast of Lupercalia in honor of Juno, the queen of the Roman gods and
goddesses on February 14. Juno was also the goddess of women and marriage.
The Empire State Building in New York City played a prominent role in the movie Sleepless in Seattle. This year 15
couples will take (or renew) their vows on the 80th floor of this famous landmark.
The first American publisher of valentines was printer and artist Esther Howland. During the 1870s, her elaborate lace
cards were purchased by the wealthy, as they cost a minimum of 5 dollars - some sold for as much as 35 dollars. Mass
production eventually brought prices down, and the affordable "penny valentine" became popular with the lower classes.
The first photograph of a U.S. President was taken on February 14, 1849 by Matthew Brady in New York City. President
James Polk was the subject of the famous picture. .
The first televised tour of the White House aired on February 14 in 1962. First Lady Jackie Kennedy hosted the tour.
The heart is the most common symbol of romantic love. Ancient cultures believed the human soul lived in the heart.
Others thought it to be the source of emotion and intelligence. Some believed the heart embodied a man's truth,
strength and nobility. The heart may be associated with love because the ancient Greeks believed it was the target of
Eros, known as Cupid to the Romans. Anyone shot in the heart by one of Cupid's arrows would fall hopelessly in love.
Because the heart is so closely linked to love, it's red colour is thought to be the most romantic.
The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed
to Juliet every Valentine's Day.
The Kama Sutra is believed to be the oldest sex manual in existence. Generally considered the standard work on love
in Sanskrit literature, the book is thought to have been written around 300 A.D.
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, who died in childbirth. Work on the Taj began in 1634 and continued for almost 22 years. required the labor of
20,000 workers from all over India and Central Asia.
The oldest known Valentines were sent in 1415 A.D. by the Duke of Orleans to his French wife while he was imprisoned
in the Tower of London. It is still on display in a museum in England.
The oldest surviving love poem is written in a clay tablet from the times of the Sumerians, inventors of writing, around
3500 B.C. It was unromantically named Istanbul #2461 by the archeologists who unearthed it.
The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Red stands for strong feelings which is why
a red rose is a flower of love.
Valentine's Day is big business. Consumers will spend an average of $77.43 on Valentine's Day gifts this year.
E-commerce retailers expect to rack up about $650 million in sales of food, candy, flowers, and other Valentine's Day
gifts. Of that amount about $350 million will be for gifts and flowers and another $45 million will be spent on food
(including chocolate) and wine.
Wearing a wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand dates back to ancient Egypt, where it was believed that the
vein of love ran from this finger directly to the heart.
A ring has been included in wedding ceremonies since the 12th century. Pope Innocent the Third ordained that
marriages had to take place in church and that a wedding ring should be exchanged during the service.
In England, the Romans, who had taken over the country, had introduced a pagan fertility festival held every February
14. After the Romans left England, nearly a century later, the pagan ritual was abolished by Pope Gelsius who
established St. Valentine's Day as a celebration of love in 496 A.D.
In America, the pilgrims sent confections, such as sugar wafers, marzipan, sweetmeats and sugar plums, to their
betrothed. Great value was placed on these gifts because they included what was then a rare commodity, sugar. After
the late 1800's, beet sugar became widely used and more available, and sweet gifts continued to be valued and
enjoyed.
Chocolate manufacturers currently use 40 percent of the world's almonds and 20 percent of the world's peanuts.
February Weddings of famous and historic people
February 8, 1807, #8 US President Martin Van Buren & Hannah Hoes
February 7, 1931, Famous female aviator Amelia Earhart & Geot Putnam
February 16, 1963, 50's & 60's Teenage heart throb Paul Anka & Marie Ann Alison DeZogheb
February 14, 1974, The Captain and Tennille were married.
February 14, 1984, Elton John and Renate Blauel
February 14, 1991, Leeza Gibbons, talk show queen & Stephen Meadows
February 14, 1991, Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid
February 6, 1994, Brian Wilson, Beach Boys Founder & Melinda Ledbetter. Band mates and children attended the
festivities.
February 14, 1994 Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia (51) wed Deborah Koons
February 14, 1994, Roseanne, of Rosanne & Ben Thomas, her ex-bodyguard. Her red-velvet Richard Tyler dress was
embroidered with "Ben and Roseanne")
February 19, 1995, Pamela Anderson, Baywatch & Tommy Lee, Rock star
February 14, 1996, Prince/The Artist married Mayte Garcia.
February 15, 1996, Gong Li, Chinese actress, Raise the Red Lantern & Farewell My concubine. & Hoe Seong. She first
denied the ceremony took place, and later had a reception in November. For the actual ceremony she wore a green
polo shirt and slacks, for the November reception at Hong Kong's China Club she wore an off-white embroidered
western style dress before changing into a Chinese gown of figure- hugging red velvet.
February 14, 1998, Sharon Stone & Phil Bronstein, San Francisco Examiner Executive Editor. They had 120 guests
including Melanie Griffith & James woods, who thought they were coming for a Valentine's party at Sharon's estate.
Gospel Choir sang "Amazing Grace" And the groom following Jewish custom broke a glass underfoot. Sharon wore a
pink bias-cut Vera Wang gown.
February 22, 1998, Tori Amos, singer & Mark Hawley, British sound engineer. She wore a floor-length silver cape over
her ice-blue gown. February 24, 1992 Kurt Cobain & Diva Courtney Love
February 14, 1999 Actress Diane Ladd & Robert Charles Hunter (Della Reese, Touched by an Angel, performed the
ceremony)