Every year, on February 14, couples around the world honor their sweethearts with candy and flowers. Today’s Valentine’s Day customs go back hundreds of years. Here are a few fascinating facts about this special day.
Fascinating Fact #1
Richard Cadbury, of the British chocolate family started the tradition of giving a box of candy on Valentine’s Day in the 19th Century.
Fascinating Fact #2
According to the Food Business News, Oliver Chase, an inventor and pharmacist, wanted to find a way to produce throat lozenges. He created a machine that would produce these lozenges quickly. It didn’t take long before he realized that he could also use this machine to produce candy. Thus, he created the Necco Wafer.
Chase’s brother came up with the idea to put messages on the candy in 1866. In 1901, the candy became shaped like a heart to appeal to the Valentine’s Day crowd.
Fascinating Fact #3
History.com reports that the oldest record of a valentine was a poem written by Charles Duke of Orleans to his wife when he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415. According to Hallmark, today 144 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent in the United States each year.
Fascinating Fact #4
According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, Americans spent $18.2 billion for Valentine’s Day in 2017 and were expected to spend $19.6 billion in 2018.
Fascinating Fact #5
A survey by the National Confectioners Association found that men and women prefer to receive chocolate over flowers, with chocolate sales representing 75% or more of Valentine’s Day candy purchases.
