Where it all began

There are various theories of the origin of Valentine’s Day, but the most popular dates back to the time of the Roman Empire during the reign of Claudius II, 270 AD. Claudius didn’t want men to marry during war time because he believed single men made better soldiers. Bishop Valentine went against his wishes and performed secret wedding ceremonies. For this, Valentine was jailed and then executed by order of the Emperor on February 14. While in jail, he wrote a love note to the jailor’s daughter, signing it, “From Your Valentine.”

The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love.

In classical Greek mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction, and affection.

In the 1800s doctors commonly advised their heartbroken patients to eat chocolate, claiming it would soothe their pain.

On average, there are more than 220,000 wedding proposals on Valentine’s Day each year.

The Valentine’s Day chocolate boxes were introduced in 1868 by Richard Cadbury.

Many believe the the X symbol became synonymous with the kiss when people who couldn’t write their names signed with an X then kissed to show their sincerity.