During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance. , The estimated value of shipments in 2011 for firms producing chocolate and cocoa products. These businesses employed 66,165 people. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. The spirit continues today with even young children exchanging valentine's cards with their fellow classmates. Valentine’s Day decorations often feature hearts, sometimes pierced by Cupid’s arrow! According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Pope Gelasius I decided to replace Lupercalia with the Feast of the Purification. Please check the Privacy Policy of the site you are visiting. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; or e-mail: pio@census.gov. , Nonchocolate confectionery product manufacturing, meanwhile, was an estimated $8.4 billion industry. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. , Number of confectionery and nut stores in the United States in 2011. Some of the files may require a plug-in or additional software to view. The 2020 Census, Next Steps and a Heartfelt Thanks. They may also arrange a romantic meal in a restaurant or night in a hotel. So many couples tie the knot in the Silver State that it ranked number one nationally in marriage rates. , Table 4, As of 2009, the percentage of currently married women who had been married for at least 50 years. , Table MS-2, The overall percentage of people 15 and older who reported being married. A third theory is that the executed priest and the marriage-performing bishop were the same romantic person. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns: 2011, NAICS code (31132) and (31133), Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and–most importantly–romantic figure. , Number of U.S. establishments that manufactured nonchocolate confectionary products in 2011. The history of Valentine’s Day–and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. In the 16th century, people started to send messages called valentines. However, in 270 CE, emperor Claudius II Gothicus put to death a priest with this name. In A.D. 496, Pope Gelasius I declared Feb. 14 as Valentine Day. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Families and Living Arrangements: 2013, . We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Families and Living Arrangements: 2013, Source: Number, Timing, and Duration of Marriages and Divorces: 2009 , Median age at first marriage in 2013 for men and women, respectively. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. To sign up for updates please enter your contact information below. Sep 17, 2020 - Explore Andrea Hamlin's board "February 14", followed by 722 people on Pinterest. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois. Sweethearts and family members present gifts to one another, such as cards, candy, flowers and other symbols of affection. No one is certain which of the notable Valentines in history inspired the name of this holiday. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Now, about a billion valentines … The total value of fresh cut roses as of October 2013 was $354,703,231. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Who was Saint Valentine? and Every year on February 15, priests called Luperci sacrificed animals. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Month Day February 14 . ORIGINS OF VALENTINE’S DAY: A PAGAN FESTIVAL IN FEBRUARY. The spirit continues today with even young children exchanging valentine's cards with their fellow classmates. , Table 6, The number of dating service establishments nationwide as of 2007. Did you find the origins of Valentine’s Day mysterious and fascinating? Supposedly, any woman touched by the animal skin became fertile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS code (448310), These establishments employed 19,198 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 Annual Survey of Manufactures, Products and Service Code (311340) Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services , The merchandise at these locations could well have been produced at one of the nation's 1,385 jewelry-manufacturing establishments. Before people realized that hearts pumped blood inside the body, they noticed that the heart beat faster when they were excited. [PDF - <1.0 MB], The provisional number of marriages that took place in the United States in 2011. Writing, grammar, and communication tips for your inbox. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. By selecting this link you will leave www.census.gov. Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), Download Facts for Features: Valentine's Day: 2014 [PDF - <1.0 MB], http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2011/00A1//naics~31132, http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2011/00A1//naics~31133, http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2011/00A1//naics~31134, , http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ASM/2011/31VS201//prodsvc~311340, http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2011/00A1//naics~445292, http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2011/00A1//naics~4531, http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2011/00A1/0100000US/naics~448310, http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2011/00A1/0100000US/naics~339911, http://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/marital.html, http://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2013A.html, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/dvs/marriage_rates_90_95_99-11.pdf, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/marriage_divorce_tables.htm, http://census.gov/library/publications/2011/demo/p70-125.html, http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/B12505, http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ECN/2007_US/00A1//naics~8129902, African-American History Month (February). Source: Number, Timing, and Duration of Marriages and Divorces: 2009 Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS code (339911), Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Number, Timing, and Duration of Marriages and Divorces: 2009, In the 16th century, people started to send messages called valentines. , The value of imports for cut flowers and buds for bouquets in 2013 through October. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns: 2011, NAICS code (31134) Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. Know more details, Girl’s body exhumed for autopsy after her mother issued allegations, There are 24 other planets similar to Earth, where life could also possibly exist…Know more, Rahul Gandhi responded to the BJP’s allegations of ‘selective outrage’ by Congress…Read more, At least 10 including children killed in a suicide bombing outside an education center. , Table 8, The median time in years between divorce and a second marriage for men and women, respectively. How Consistency Is Critical to Work Communication, How to Convince Your Manager to Ensure Team Consistency in Writing, How to Create a Style Guide for Your Business, 8 Communication Tips to Help College Students Navigate Distance Learning. Behind Christmas, it’s the most popular day of the year to send cards! Why do lovers send cards and spend time together on February 14th? A little more than half of currently married women had been married for at least 15 years. Source: 2012 American Community Survey By comparison, 75.4 percent of people who have ever been married have made only one trip down the aisle. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS code (445292),, The total number of florists' establishments nationwide in 2011. Common symbols of Valentine's Day are hearts, red roses and Cupid. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) Measuring America's People, Places, and Economy. Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. , Table 8, Among people 15 and older in 2009, the percentage of men and women, respectively, who had married twice and were still married. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity and but was outlawed—as it was deemed “un-Christian”–at the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day. You have been successfully subscribed to the Grammarly blog. While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial–which probably occurred around A.D. 270–others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia.