12 things you didn't know about Valentine's Day
Here are some interesting facts to think about while you find a vase for your dozen red Valentine's Day roses.
- In the 1800s, doctors were known to advise their patients to eat chocolate to calm their pining for lost love.
- The red rose was the favourite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love and seduction.
- 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.
- Based on retail statistics, about 3% of pet owners will give gifts to their pets on this day.
- In Victorian times it was considered bad luck to sign a Valentine’s Day card.
- It's all in the colour of your roses: yellow says 'I care', coral signifies desire, white says 'I am worthy of you', and red is, of course, the signifier of true love. Choose your bouquet wisely!
- The number of roses you give the object of your affection is also very telling: one is for someone who has caught you in a whirlwind romance, two is a form of apology, 12 is for marriage proposals, and 36 is to profess true love. If you are truly, madly in love with someone, let them know by giving them 101 roses.
- Ever wondered why lace features so much on this day? The word 'lace' comes from the Latin 'lacques', which means 'to snare' or 'to net' - as in catch a person's heart!
- Teachers get the most presents on Valentine's Day, followed by children, mothers, spouses, lovers, and pets.
- In Finland, Valentine’s Day is called 'Ystävänpäivä', which translates into 'Friend’s day'. It's more about showing your friends how much you appreciate them than it is about making huge romantic gestures.
- Good news: true love does last a lifetime! The official world record for the longest marriage for a living couple belongs to Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher, who were married for a total of 86 years and 290 days!
- In Greek mythology, Cupid is the 'mini-god' of love, and also his child Venus, who was the goddess of love and seduction. So love and romance are clearly a family business!
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