Love is in the Air

February 14th is Valentine’s Day. People (typically couples) exchange cards, candy, gifts or flowers with their romantic special someone or “valentine.” How did the tradition begin? Valentine’s Day is named for a Christian martyr, St. Valentine and dates back to the 5th century. However, it also has origins in the Roman holiday Lupercalia- a raucous, ancient fertility festival. Later, the Christian Church chose mid-February for St. Valentine’s Day in an effort to Christianize the rowdy Roman holiday.

How you may ask did St. Valentine become associated with love and romance? It is a little vague and uncertain as it turns out there was more than one Christian Cleric named St Valentine. However, the one in Roman Times is a great story. He was caught secretly marrying young Romans, who were forbidden to get married because it was believed their single status made them better soldiers. He was sentenced to death after his actions were discovered. Later, in honor of his soft hearted disobedience, Pope Gelasius declared February 14th, St. Valentine’s Day.

The romantic connotations around the holiday were further solidified when in the 1300’s, February 14th was thought to be the beginning of the official mating season for birds. Later in the 1800’s, Valentine’s went main stream, and we saw the beginning of mass produced cards and the Holiday took off like wildfire.

Here are some interesting fun facts to ponder about what we like to give and receive on Valentines’ Day.

• One Billion – The number of Valentine Cards exchanged each year…the largest seasonal card-selling occasion of the year next to Christmas.
• 83% – The percentage of the one billion Valentine’s Card purchased by women.
• 50% – Number of people who prefer to receive a humorous Valentine.
• 31% – Number of people who prefer to receive a romantic greeting.
• 8.2% – Number of people who prefer to receive a risque card,
• 32% – Percentage of total annual sales for florists,
• 73% – Percentage of total number of people (and they are male) who buy flowers to send on Valentine’s Day.
• 110 million – The number of roses sold and delivered within a three-day time period during the Valentine’s Day celebrations.
• $95.00 – Average amount of money men spend on Valentine’s Day gifts.
• 3% – The percentage of pet owners that will give a Valentine’s Day gift to their pet.

We would love to be a part of your Valentine’s Celebration. We make a special dinner that we are serving the entire weekend, fill our dining room with the soft sounds of live piano music, and get creative in the bakery with Long Stemmed Tuxedo Strawberries and Cheesecake Truffles that we can box up for you to take home to “taste the love” with your Valentine. Happy Valentine’s Day.