Love Is In The Air And These 35 Valentine’s Day Facts Make It Even More Potent

There is an unofficial Valentine's Day alternative for singles, a holiday called Singles Awareness Day (or Singles Appreciation Day) is celebrated on February 15 each year.

Voyager I’s solar system photo was taken on Valentine’s Day of 1990.

The first Valentine was sent from prison. It was a poem written by a French medieval duke named Charles to his wife in 1415.

Valentine's Day has its roots in an ancient Pagan festival.
The pagan celebration of Lupercalia was celebrated in February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

According to a survey done by National Retail Federation Americans spend millions of dollars on gifts for their pets. The average person has set aside roughly $12 for their pets’ Valentines.

“XOXO” didn't always mean hugs and kisses.

The use of X as a symbol is believed to date back to the Middle Ages. They would use the letter X—or a cross—to sign documents as a display of faith. They’d also kiss the cross as another symbol of trustworthiness.

The use of O origins is unknown, only speculative theories on precise origins are suggested. One of the theories suggests Jewish immigrants who came to the US may have signed documents with an O. They did this in contrast to Christians, who used X as a display of faith and an indication of their sincerity.

According to a survey, nearly 6 million couples get engaged on Valentine's Day.

Valentine's day is celebrated differently around the world. For example, in South Korea - on the 14th of each month couples celebrate Valentine's Day. "The day of roses" is observed in May, "the day of kisses" is observed in June, "the day of hugs" is observed in December, and singles observe "the black day" in April by eating black noodles.

Alexander Graham Bell applied for a patent for the telephone on Valentine’s day.

On the 2009 Valentine's day, Mexico City made the record for the largest group kiss with 39,897 people.

In the 1300s, it officially became a holiday associated with love. In his 1375 poem "Parliament of Foules," the English author Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to mention St. Valentine's Day as a day of romantic festivity, saying, ""For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate."

St. Valentine wasn't just one person. The Catholic Church acknowledges at least three different martyred saints named Valentine or Valentinus.

According to one legend, Valentine was a priest who served in Rome during the third century. When Emperor Claudius II felt that single men were better soldiers than those with wives and kids, he prohibited young men from marrying. Valentine, realizing the decree's injustice, disobeyed Claudius and continued to perform secret marriages for young lovers.

Nearly 250 million roses are grown in preparation for Valentine's Day each year.

The color of the flower given on Valentine's Day holds meaning - While a red rose has traditionally symbolized love, other colors like deep pink, purple, or white - which symbolize happiness, royalty, and sympathy respectively.

Today, Americans spend a lot on love - Valentine’s Day spending is expected to reach $23.9 billion this year. On average $192.8 per person on gifts, and experiences.

Booklets were created to help people write valentines.

Conversation hearts got their start as medical lozenges.

More than 8 billion conversation hearts are manufactured each year.

Kids can be the real Valentine's Day winners - A survey found that 85 percent of parents told they'd give a present to their children, compared to 59 percent who buy something special for their partner.

Lovebirds are actual birds.