As soon as the New Year's champagne bottles are cleared away, we're suddenly surrounded by candy pink hearts and cutesy packages of cards that say "Bee Mine!" February 14th seems like a day for romantic dinners and sappy poems, but it also has some interesting traditions and facts. Check these out, and then use your knowledge to impress your friends (or try out for Jeopardy)!
* In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. This is where the saying "wear your heart on your sleeve" comes from.
* The oldest surviving love poem is written on a clay tablet from around 3500 B.C.
* The city of Verona, where Romeo and Juliet takes place, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine's Day.
* Approximately 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets. (Heart shaped squeaky toy, anyone?)
* In Medieval times, young ladies ate unusual foods on St Valentine's Day to make them dream of their future husbands.
* Alexander Graham Bell filed for his patent on the telephone, titled an "Improvement in Telegraphy," on February 14, 1876, ensuring that generations of suitors would be able to call just to say "I love you."
* Richard Cadbury invented the first Valentines Day candy box in the late 1800s. (Yum.)
All trivia courtesy of stvalentinesday.org!
