Valentine’s Day is the favorite date of the most-romantic and many people take the day as an opportunity to give flowers, chocolates, or other nice gifts to the ones they love.
Do you know these traditions all started? There are many interesting and curious facts related to this holiday.
One of the most popular stories related to the origins of Valentine’s Day dates back to 270 AD during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius II, who banned marriage because, in his opinion, bachelors were better soldiers.
However, Bishop Valentine decided to ignore the ruler’s wishes and continued to marry couples in secret until he was discovered and imprisoned for treason.
He was executed on February 14, which is why we celebrate Valentine’s Day on this date every year.
Why do people give roses on Valentine’s Day?
Undoubtedly, red roses lead flower sales on Valentine’s Day, but do you know why?
The red rose was the favorite of Venus, the goddess of love in Roman mythology.
In addition, red is considered to be the color of love and is related to strong feelings and loving emotions.
Boxes of chocolates and candies
Richard Cadbury (1835–1899) was largely responsible for the popularization of heart-shaped boxes of chocolates.
The Cadbury brand initially offered the boxes as having a dual purpose: In addition to presenting their chocolates in a super romantic and poetic way, the box, being so pretty, also served to hold mementos and love letters.
Decorative boxes for holding mementos were quite common in Victorian England, and even today there are still some examples of these vintage boxes, many of which are considered family heirlooms. They can be quite valuable to collectors.
Letters to Juliet
Not only in the movie, but also in real life, Juliet receives letters.
It is estimated that on Valentine’s Day, the city of Verona, Italy, Juliet’s home, receives more than a thousand letters and cards addressed to William Shakespeare’s creation, asking her for love advice.
Valentine’s Day around the world
In Japan, Valentine’s Day has been celebrated since 1936, and it is women who must declare their love by giving men boxes of chocolate.
In the United States, the holiday is celebrated on February 14 and couples exchange gifts, chocolates, flowers, cards, and more.
In Italy, the day is celebrated with banquets and an exchange of gifts between lovers.
In the United Kingdom, couples exchange keys and locks to seal their love for each other.
In Latin America, in addition to celebrating love between couples, friendship is also celebrated with parties and gifts.
The oldest Valentine’s card
One of the oldest Valentine’s cards was sent in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was a prisoner in the Tower of London.
The card is now preserved in the British Museum.
Love spoon
In Wales, flowers and chocolates are not exactly the ideal gifts for a man to give his beloved.
The ideal gift is a “love spoon,” which has unique details, with various elaborate symbols and drawings with different meanings.
Black noodles for lonely men
In South Korea, women give chocolate to their men on February 14.
Exactly one month later, on March 14, men express their love by giving sweets to their girlfriends and wives.
Meanwhile, bachelors who have not received sweets and chocolates go out on April 14, also known as Black Day, to eat black noodles.
By Andreina Ibarra.
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