10 bizarre things you didn't know about Valentine's Day

There are many theories surrounding how Valentine’s Day started. The tradition can be traced from the 14 hundreds, meaning that it is 600 years old. Kathleen Davis, deputy editor of Fact Company, uncovers not only the holiday’s history, but some other amazing Valentine’s Day facts.

1. Valentine's Day is the tradition started with the Romans.

According to History.com, the day derives from Lupercalia, a raucous Roman festival on February 15th where men stripped naked and spanked young maidens in the hopes of boosting their fertility status.

2. Candy hearts were originally medical lozenges.

In 1847, Boston pharmacist Oliver Chase invented a machine that made the lozenge production process easier, resulting in the first candy-making machine, according to The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. After spotting an opportunity to change the candy business, Chase shifted his mind to candy production with Necco wafers.

3. The heart shape a transformed to a  romantic symbol.

According to Time, long back the heart was once widely believed to be humans' center of memory, where feelings of love were recorded. However, we have French and Italian artists from the 14th century were the first to use the symbol that we know and love today.

4. Valentine's Day is a popular holiday to get engaged.

A 2017 study by diamond retailer James Allen found that 43% of the young generation chose Valentine's Day as their top choice of day to propose or be proposed to.

5. Americans spend huge sums on love.

A survey conducted by the National Retail Federation, revealed that Americans spent $20.7 billion for Valentine's Day in 2019 and were expected to spend $27.4 billion billion in 2020.

6. Experiential gifts are becoming the real deal.

In 2017, 40% of consumers told the National Retail Federation they wanted an "experience gift"— a.k.a. tickets to a concert or other event, an outdoor activity, or an evening out — although only 24% planned to give one. This gift option is particularly popular with young people: 45% of people ages 18-24 and 40 percent of people ages 25-34 said they planned to give experiences for Valentine's Day.

7. More Americans skip Valentine's Day than you can imagine.

Maybe  it's because they're single or think the holiday is beyond cheesy, about 30% 0f adults reported in a survey by the National Retail Federation that they're not celebrating the day of love, though they may treat themselves to a small gift or a night out with friends and family.

8. Pets are also getting the love.

People really do love their pets, because according to the National Retail Federation, 27% of people celebrating Valentine's day in 2020 say they are also buying gifts for their pets. Spending on Valentine's Day gifts for pets has also grown significantly, going from $450 million in 2010 to more than $1.7 billion.

9. Galentine's Day has become a huge holiday.

Galentine's Day may have originally been a holiday made up by the hit TV show Parks and Recreation back in 2010, but according to the National Retail Federation, since 2010, spending on Valentine’s Day gifts for friends has nearly tripled, going from $737 million to a whopping $2.1 billion.

10. Roses really are the “Boss” of Valentine's Day florals.

Roses are iconically linked to Valentine's Day, and it's not just a stereotype. According to The Spruce, roses account for more than half of all Valentine's Day flower sales.